Awakening of the Dawn
by ohshitwaddup
Summary: Zora hasn't had an easy life. She's primed for revenge and wants and to protect her younger brother, and her nation, from the person who desires to destroy everything. She has had to become manipulative and ruthless to get ahead in the world. She expects that her entire life will be this way, at least until a sailor comes into her life and throws all of her plans out the window.
1. The Dungeon of Orias Part 1

eyyo i'm ohshitwaddup! thanks for dropping by! basically i'm pissed at magi canon so i'm writing a fic to fix it, and what better way to alter canon than to have an extraneous character? so yeah, oc fanfic! this starts in the snb era after the zepar dungeon, but before sinbad travels back to balbadd to travel with king rashid.

so this fic will have spoilers for sinbad no bouken, but only to a certain extent because it's not finished yet (obvs). my fic _will_ divert from canon, so it shouldn't spoil too much. if there's an even that i think is really important, then i'll include it here, but i'll post a note before hand to explain that a certain chapter will have a spoiler.

i hope you enjoy!

* * *

The rocks loomed before her in the ominous form of a skull with a gaping mouth. She frowns a bit, moving the strap of her quiver on her shoulder. It had taken a week of travel, and a year of planning, but she's finally here. Her hand tightens around the bow. She had heard about the dungeon from a friend and had then traveled to the small island of Zrin, hoping to conquer it before anyone else could. Now, as she looks upon it, it feels like a rash decision. What was she thinking? How could she pay attention to the challenges when she was focused on keeping her younger brother alive?

"Hey, Cenek, maybe you should stay out here. It could be dangerous," she says to him. Cenek shakes his head once. He pushes a lock of loose orange hair behind his ear.

"I want to help you. You've read the stories. You can't conquer a dungeon on your own. Besides," he gives her a crooked grin, "I'm a magician. I can help myself."

She looks back up at the dungeon and shivers. There's some kind of ominous energy surrounding it. She gulps and steels herself. She came out here for a _purpose_. She has to conquer the dungeon. There's no way around it.

"You're right," she ruffles her brother's hair. "Thanks for coming with me."

He grins at her. "Of course I'd come with you. It's our first time in the outside world after all."

They hold hands as they approach the dungeon just in case it wants to separate them. She can't allow her brother to get hurt. She has to protect him, just as he feels that he needs to protect her. There's a large, immersive red light as they enter before she feels rock beneath her face.

Her brother is laying a few feet in front of her groaning and holding his head.

"Cenek!" she calls, running towards him. "Cenek, are you okay?"

There's a scrape on his brow, but he nods. A ball of tension releases inside of her chest. "I'm fine, don't worry about it Zora."

She helps him to his feet and he brushes the dirt off of his pants. She pulls out an arrow and notches it on the string of her bow, just in case. She'd read the _Adventures of Sinbad_. There's no way there won't be _some_ kind of danger ahead.

"I think our goal should be finishing this dungeon as fast as possible. I don't know how much longer Borna can pretend to be me before they're found out."

"Borna's a good actor," Cenek says. "I think they'll be fine. At least, I hope they'll be fine."

"We just can't afford to be discovered. Can you imagine what will happen to us if _she_ finds out that I've gotten a djinn?"

"I don't even want to think about what Queen Galina will do. She already wants us dead," Cenek says. "But with the djinn, we might have a chance to finally defeat her."

"Yep," Zora sighs. "Here's to hoping we can actually get it."

They approach the door at the edge of the clearing they had arrived in. It's covered in moss and strange symbols that neither Zora nor her brother have seen before. Zora wipes off some of the moss and frowns. There's a series of stones that jut out from it, but seem to be moveable.

"I guess it's a puzzle?" she says.

"How are we supposed to figure out what to do when we can't read the directions?" Cenek cries out, holding his face in his hands.

"It'll be okay," Zora says, even though she doesn't think it'll be okay. Cenek sends her a disbelieving look. "All we have to do is look around for clues, amass knowledge, and then put that knowledge to use."

" _Where_?" he gestures to the empty cavern they're standing in. "We're in the mouth of a giant rock skull! All that's here is a fake tongue and some teeth!"

"Hmm," Zora taps her chin, looking at the opposite direction where Cenek had pointed. The teeth are closed, locking them in. "Maybe we need to count the teeth and push that many stones in?"

"The fuck kind of puzzle is that?" Cenek asks.

"Language," Zora chastises him. "There's literally nothing else here but barren rock. The teeth are the _only_ part of the cave that are sticking out from the ground. There's probably some other catch, but this is the only idea I have right now."

Cenek nods. "I can't think of anything else either. I'll go count the teeth." He summons a ball of light into his hand and walks back across the clearing. Zora stands tensely as she waits for him, her bow ready.

"There are 32 of them. So like a normal human head," Cenek calls to her. Zora turns to the door and starts to push in the stones. As she goes, the easier they slide in, and she can hear the sound of locks clicking from within the door. The door opens as Cenek comes back. Light floods through the door and Zora sees a massive field filled with blue flowers and green grass. The sky is light and there are large birds flying peacefully within.

Zora takes a cautious step inside. Cenek grabs her hand and goes with her. There's a look of childish wonder on his face.

"Zora… what is this?" he asks.

She shakes her head. "I have no idea, but it's beautiful."

A lone figure appears on the hill above them, floating. It's small and the color of the flowers. It turns to them as they approach.

"Welcome," says the childlike figure. "I am Khusak, one of the twelve aspects of the djinn Orias. You were born under my constellation, so I have been given to you as a guide through the challenges of this dungeon."

Zora extends a hand. "Thank you, Khusak. I'm Zora. I hope we will work well together."

Khusak chuckles. "So blunt. You definitely fall under my aspect."

"What are the challenges of the dungeon? How do I win the djinn?"

"You must capture the other 11 aspects in order to form Orias. If you are able to do that, then you will be given Orias's power."

"I see," Zora says. _Capture the other 11?_ _I don't even know what they are!_

"Don't worry about your ignorance, Zorka," Khusak throws in the diminutive. "I have seen into your heart and mind. I know the reason you are here. I will help you, though I won't solve any of the challenges for you."

"I wouldn't want you to do that anyway," Zora says. "It wouldn't be fair. I want to win the dungeon with my own determination."

"Of course," Khusak smiles. She gestures to the field around them. "This is my domain. It will be your safe zone. However, if someone comes in and reaches my sign, you will have to defend it with the powers you have obtained by that point."

"Is it likely that someone will come in?" Zora asks.

"Yes. Lord Orias understands the past, present, and future. He predicted your arrival as soon as you landed on Zrin. Likewise, there is another coming here soon."

"I'll just have to conquer the dungeon before he can."

"Yes, that would be wise," Khusak agrees with a nod of their head. "Are you ready for the first challenge?"

"Yes," Zora says firmly. She turns to Cenek.

"Are you?"

Cenek nods. "I'm ready, just a little overwhelmed."

Zora turns back to Khusak. "Send us there." Khusak waves her hand and a rip in the fabric of reality appears.

"I'm supposed to go through that?" Zora asks. Khusak nods and gestures for her to walk through. Zora grabs her brother's hand and the two step into it. For the split second it takes to make it to the other side, Zora feels like her entire body is being ripped apart and stiched back together again. Cenek's pale face doesn't seem to be any better.

The first thing Zora feels in the new location is the heat. It nips at her skin and she can already feel the sweat pooling on her skin. She wipes at her brow and looks around. There's a wall of fire at the end of the room, surrounding a large figure on all fours.

"I guess that's the next aspect," Zora says. She leads the way across the room when the figure suddenly turns towards her.

"Stop!" it bays. There are horns curling out of red fur on its head. "You must complete my challenges before coming closer."

"What are the challenges?" Zora asks the red ram. The red ram hums, its hooves clacking as it hops around. "We'll start with something easy, since I see you have a bow. You must win an archery contest against my puppets. Personally, I think archery is really cool, but it's not my thing."

"Alright," Zora agrees. She's confident in her skill with a bow, though she's unsure how a ram will work puppets. He's only got hooves.

The landscape of the room changes and two floating targets appear in front of her. The ram clacks around some more.

"The goal of this challenge, is to hit all the targets. You are allowed to miss two completely, but any more than that and you will never win my aspect!"

"Okay," Zora says. She notches an arrow onto her bowstring as her body naturally slides into the correct stances. She draws the string back and aims, letting the arrow fly towards the target. She fires another one, quickly after the first. Both hit the target dead in the center. More targets appear, though these start to move back and forth. Zora fires her again, hitting the targets in the center.

Five targets appear, these gyrating far faster than the previous ones. Zora takes a second to examine their movements. She sees the pattern and fires five arrows. Not all of them hit in the center, but they all hit.

Ten targets appear. These start to fly around the room. She hits three in the center, but the other seven hit off their marks. Sweat drips down her arms from the heat of the room. She wipes her hands on the light cloth of her robes. She blinks the sweat from her eyes.

Fifteen targets appear, doing a similar motion. But this time, instead of just moving around, these twist. _I'll have to time it even better now_ , she thinks. She squints at the targets. It would be easier if the room weren't so hot and dark, but she has to deal with it.

She fires fifteen arrows, with more time in between them. She misses the fourteenth target, but the fifteenth hits.

"Oh! One more mistake or you're out of the game," the ram lets out a bleating laugh. "Nimasp will love you when you reach his challenges."

"I don't know who that is!" Zora tells him. The ram seems to not care about that at all.

"Hurry, King Candidate! Shoot more targets!"

There's double the amount of targets than last time. They fly around the room almost too quickly for Zora to see. _How the fuck is this an easy challenge?_ She thinks. _I'll just have to take my time._ She watches the targets and counts the seconds it takes for a new one to pass in front of her. She takes in a breath and draws the string. _One down_. She recounts. She lets an arrow loose. _Two down_. _Three. Four Five_.

She continues to meticulously shoot down the targets. The last one disappears before she can fire an arrow.

"Fine, I _get it_ , you're good at archery," the ram sighs. "I'm bored of this now. You have one more challenge."

"Okay," Zora says and comes forward. Cenek's hand is clasped in the back of her shirt. He's nervous. The ram is far larger up close. It's taller than Zora is. She looks up at it.

"What do you want me to do now?" she asks. The ram shuffles its hooves, seeming to think before turning one red eye to Cenek. Cenek screeches as he's lifted into the air. He struggles against whatever magic is holding him there. There's a sinking feeling of dread in Zora's stomach.

"No," she says before the ram can tell her what to do. "I'm not going to shoot him."

"Then I guess you won't win my aspect," the ram sighs. "Come on, Zora. Think of the power you'll gain. You'll be able to kill your stepmother. Won't that be great? You've fantasized about it for so long. Ever since she killed your parents. I've seen it in your head. I can help you do that."

"It's not worth it if I have to lose my brother!" Zora exclaims. "I won't lose someone else who is important to me. Why would you even think that I would? Do people actually fall for that? That's so disgusting. If I shot my brother, I'd be no better than our stepmother. Killing for my own personal gain."

The ram hums before he opens his mouth wide and laughs. "Ahahah! I really had you going there! Okay, you get my aspect. I'm the aspect of passion and loyalty. Of course I wouldn't want you to actually kill your brother. If you did, I'd have to kill you myself. I'm not sure if you know this, but if you lose a dungeon, you die."

"Oh god," Zora says.

Cenek falls to his knees when he's back on the ground. Zora kneels next to him, rubbing his back as he coughs. There are tears on his cheeks, mixed with the sweat from the heat of the room. Zora decides that she hates this aspect.

"But congratulations! You won my aspect. This means that I'll fight for you and I can't be won by any other conqueror."

"Great," Zora says weakly. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. She kind of wants to throw up. The ram puts his nose to Zora's forehead and burning heat enters her. She wants to scream.

"This is my brand," the ram explains. "The Brand of Varak, It'll only be on your body until the end of the dungeon. Then, you'll be able to harness the full power of Lord Orais into a piece of metal."

"Fantastic," Zora responds even though she feels less than fantastic.

"I know you probably want to rest now because I gave you a scare," Varak says. "But I'd recommend against it. You're going to have to face another conqueror soon, and you're going to want all the aspects you can get. Lord Orias can sense three djinn on the island, heading this way."

"Fuck," Zora says. "That means they have more experience than me."

"Yep! So you're going to have to work _really_ hard! But don't worry. Now that you've won me, the war aspect, I'll fight in challenges with you."

"Alright," Zora said, kind of wanting to die. "I guess I'll need to get going then."

Varak snorts loudly through his nose and steams pours out, opening another rift in space. Khusak appears beside Zora's shoulder.

"Congratulations on winning Varak's aspect!"

"Oh great, _you're_ here," Varak groans. Khusak sticks their tongue out at him.

Varak shrinks and floats onto Zora's shoulder. Khusak floats behind her, opalescent wings beating softly.

"The next room you're going into will be _fun_ ," she says. "I love Tora."

"I don't," Varak sighs. Zora grabs Cenek's hand and steps through the portal. The air on the other side is refreshing and clean. Like Khusak's chamber, Tora's smells like dirt and plants. There are bees buzzing around flowers. It's far less ominous than Varak's. Varak shivers.

"It's so _cold_ in here."

"No it's not," Cenek snaps, scowling at Varak. Zora raises her eyebrows. It's not often that Cenek reacts aggressively in a situation. He's quiet and thoughtful.

"Welcome!" comes a sweet voice that is almost reminiscent of singing. The figure that approaches them is lean and androgynous.

"I am Tora, the aspect of love and creativity," the figure says in a two-toned voice.

"It's nice to meet you," Zora says dumbly. _What the fuck?_ She thinks, _this person is so beautiful?_

"I see that you've resonated with my aspect," Tora says. "What do I look like to you, King Candidate?"

"I'm Zora," Zora says dumbly. Tora laughs.

"How cute. Are you ready to face my challenge?"

Zora slaps her cheeks and averts her eyes from Tora to regain her bearings. "Yes. I'm ready. I need to win you over."

"Oh, babe," Tora fans themselves. "You can _bend_ me over anytime.'

"Ohh my god?" Zora says, her face heating up.

"Tora, is this really necessary?" Khusak asks, putting their hands on their hips. Tora blows Khusak a kiss. Khusak rolls their eyes, but does return Tora's smile.

"What's the challenge?" Zora asks, calming herself down to try and get back on track.

Tora taps their chin. "Hmm. I think… I want you to prove your creativity in whatever form you desire. I love all creative mediums." They snap their fingers and writing utensils, paints, fabric and needles, appear before Zora. "I will give you a topic and you have to create something based off of it."

Zora nods. She can do that. Khusak rubs her shoulders.

"Don't feel so tense. Tora may be the aspect of creativity, but my star-children tend to be very creative. I'm sure you'll do well."

"Thanks, Khusak," Zora says with a smile.

"The topic is –!"

Before Tora can finish, the ground beneath them shakes. "Oh, looks like the other conquerors have entered the dungeon."

"I don't have to wait for them to make it here, do I?"

"Nope!" Tora says. "Since you have Varak's brand, they'll be sent straight to me after they meet and speak with their ruling constellation."

"Well, fuck," Zora looks to her brother. He puts his hands on his hips.

"I'll keep them from progressing to get to you. They have to walk up here to talk to Tora after all."

Zora ruffles his hair. "Alright. Tell me the challenge, Tora!"

"I want you to make a creative work about love and death."

 _Damn, that's zero to one hundred real quick_ , Zora thinks but she nods and grabs the scroll and a pen. "Got it. Love and death… Love and death…"

It's hard for Zora to start because she had not grown up in a place that would give her a chance to feel love. The only type of love she knew was the protective bond she had with her younger brother. She thinks her mother may have loved her, but that was ten years ago. Zora was only seven. She doesn't remember it anymore. She's sure her father loved her, at least as a way to ensure his rule over the country (every king needs an heir, even if she's the daughter of a lover and not the queen). She taps the end of the pen to her chin and looks at where her brother and Varak are guarding the open portal. Varak has grown back to his normal size (very large), and it makes her brother look miniature.

 _Love and death…_

 _Come on, write what you_ _ **know**_ _, Zora!_

 _Well, Tora never said it had to be romantic love_.

She puts the pen to the paper and starts to write about a victim of circumstances, who triumphs through her trials because of the love she feels. The love she experiences inevitably ends in her own death, when she sacrifices herself to save the lives of her family.

There's a loud crack and Zora looks to where the portal is just in time to see her brother send a tree crashing down in front of a group of people.

"There are people already in the dungeon?" one of the shorter kids asks.

"We'll just have to defeat them," says the guy in the front. He seems determined, but Zora doesn't care. She's almost done with her creative piece now. She quickly jots down the concluding moment, where the protagonist dies, surrounded by those she loves, having finally amassed them, and then hands the scroll to Tora.

"Here, it's finished!" she says.

Tora makes an appraising noise, tapping their chin as their eyes read quickly through the paper. There's more crashes as Cenek brings down more trees to halt the progress of the new group. Zora feels a swell of affection for her younger brother.

Tora lets out a sob and Zora turns her attention back to them. "This is so sad. I love it. It's great, especially since you were so rushed. I want to be one of your aspects. I can see the depth of your emotion through your story."

"Thanks," Zora says, a little abashedly.

The new group arrives at the top of the hill, panting and looking very irritated. Cenek follows close behind, his wand out.

"Sorry! I wasn't able to stop them! This guy turned into a half-lizard!"

The half-lizard's tail swings around irritably. "Who are you?" he asks.

Zora meets eyes with her brother before turning to him. "I am Zofia," she lies.

"Zofia," he repeats.

"Yes," she answers. "Who are you?"

"I'm Sinbad the dungeon conqueror," he says, putting a hand on his chest. He turns to Tora. "Please, allow me to take part in your challenge before you decide to follow Zora."

"But baby, I already decided," they coo. "Besides, I don't think you'd be able to win my challenge."

Sinbad looks offended. "And why would you say that?"

"Because, I can see into your mind and your soul. I'm the aspect of love and creativity, and you have a lot of both –but you purposefully ignore what makes those parts of humanity so intriguing and beautiful. The pain. Without pain, we cannot truly appreciate the beauty and duality of life. There are a lot of conflicting emotions within you that you are not prepared, nor want, to deal with."

Sinbad seems taken aback. Zora and Cenek share a look. She feels kind of bad for him, but she also doesn't care. He's her enemy. _She_ will conquer the dungeon, not him. She _has_ to. She wants it more than he does, anyway. She read his books. He has the ability to travel and find more dungeons. This is the only chance Zora has had in her life to leave the castle, let alone the country, to find a power that will allow her to triumph over her stepmother.

There's a small lion on Sinbad's shoulder. It whispers something to him. Khusak gives it a glare.

"Is that his constellation?" Zora asks. Khusak nods.

"I hate star-children of Ser. They always think that they own everything. And they're loud."

"Rude!" roars the small lion, Ser, on Sinbad's shoulder. "Hey, Khusak, how about you go and be judgmental somewhere else? And take your star-child with you while you're at it!"

"Sorry, did you forget how Lord Orias's dungeon works, Ser?" Khusak asks. "I know you've never been the brightest of the aspects, but I'd thought that even _you_ would remember _at least_ the reason for your existence!"

"Fuck off, Khusak!" Ser roars louder and jumps from Sinbad's shoulder, through the air to latch onto Khusak. Khusak screeches and throws Ser to the ground. Ser grows and bounds back over to Sinbad.

"Grab my tail! Grab it!" he commands at the same time that Khusak screams at Zora to hold her hand.

"What?" Sinbad asks.

"Excuse me?" Zora asks. The two candidates look at each other in confusion.

"GRAB ME!"

"HOLD ME!"

Tora settles down, their hands resting on their stomach as they yawn. Varak sits down next to them.

"I should have known the conqueror would be one of Ser's," Tora hums. "Ser's star-children are natural leaders. It would make sense that someone with two djinn would be one of his."

Varak nods. "You'd think it'd be mine since people always associate my constellation with war. But nah, Ser's got an insatiable hunger."

"What do you mean?" Cenek asks, sitting next to Tora because he can't bring himself to sit next to Varak, but he's also very curious as to what he and his sister have gotten into.

"Well, see, Ser's a lion. And they eat rams like me," Varak shivers. "I hate that guy. He always tries to tell me what to do when _hello!_ I don't want that, thank you very much!"

"So you guys can leave your rooms and just hang out?" Cenek asks. Tora nods.

"The whole room formality thing only happens when a conqueror enters the dungeon. No one's been able to win all of us before, so we haven't formed Lord Orias in over a thousand years. We've had a few conquerors try but… they didn't understand the challenges before," she pauses. "Normally they can't even make it past Varak."

"Yeah, they're power hungry so when I try and get them to prove their loyalty to their companions by making them choose between their goal and their friends' lives, they choose their goal. Which is an automatic fail! I don't want someone like that wielding my aspect's weapon."

"Does each aspect have a weapon?" Cenek asks, watching as Khusak and Ser talk to their respective star-children to talk them into fighting each other.

Tora nods. "Yes, we all have a specific combat use. So, theoretically if someone captures all of us and forms Lord Orias, they'll be able to use all of our aspects separate weapons. No one's done it yet, so we're not exactly sure how it works."

Varak nods. "Being stuck inside a dungeon with the same twelve beings is rough."

"I know," Cenek sighs. "I was locked in a castle for my whole life until I came here."

"That sounds rough, buddy," Varak commiserates. Cenek remembers having his life threatened and scowls at Varak.

"I'm not your buddy."

Varak shrugs, unbothered.

"Come _on_ , Sinbad, my _dude_ ," Ser paces in front of Sinbad. "Don't you _at least_ want to see my ability?"

Sinbad crosses his arms. "Your fight with Khusak is not our concern. She and I are both trying to capture the dungeon."

Zora nods. "I'm not interested in fighting him. I just want to catch as many aspects as I can so that I can obtain Lord Orias."

Khusak slumps their shoulders but nods. "You're right. I was getting carried away. Whenever I'm around Ser I just can't control myself. He makes me so upset," she shoots him a glare that Ser returns. She smiles. "Let's go and get the next aspect! You won Tora, didn't you?"

"Yeah, she did!" Tora calls. "Are you guys done fighting yet? Yeah? Good," they stand and help Cenek up off the ground. "Alright! Time for the next aspect's challenge, are you ready?"

Sinbad nods grimly and Zora shrugs. Tora chuckles and wiggles their fingers.

"You're going to _hate_ the next room, by the way. Bets are off for who's going to win –if either of you are even able to make it _to_ the challenge."

Zora looks up at Sinbad with a worried expression that she sees mirrored on his face.

Tora cocks their head to the side. "Oh! Dopatkar and Do-pahikar want you to know that they don't want you to bring your friends into the challenge. They think it'll be unfair since Sinbad has more."

"But she has more aspects," Sinbad says.

"Oh, we're not allowed to help on challenges," Tora explains to him. "We're just here in case she wants to kill you."

"I'm not going to do that," Zora says quickly. "I don't want to kill anyone."

"That's not true," Varak says, stomping a hoof. Zora shakes her head.

"I don't want to kill anyone in this dungeon."

Sinbad gives her a concerned look, though Zora can't tell if it's because he thinks something bad happened to her (true) or if she's unstable and easily angered (not true). Tora comes over to Zora and puts her hand on Zora's chest, right under her throat. Something seems to bubble in Zora's chest before she slaps her hand over her mouth and starts to cough. Her throat burns as she looks at her palm to see dirt. She gives Tora a disgusted look that Sinbad mirrors.

"Alright! You now have the Brand of Tora!" Tora shrinks down and settles on Zora's shoulder, leaning on Khusak. "Time to go to the next room! Make sure you hold hands so you end up in the right place!"

She twirls around and another portal door rips open, from the sky to the ground. Zora and Sinbad share a look of comradery that can only be formed by experiencing something really fucking weird together. Zora holds out her hand and Sinbad takes it in his own with a nod. They step through the portal into the next room. It's extremely cold in this one in this one, like the opposite of Varak's.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Sinbad says as he looks around. There are shadows of people dancing around on the walls. He shivers slightly. Zora nods.

"Varak's room had a weird temperature like this one and he tried to make me kill my brother."

Sinbad doesn't look surprised. "The djinn can be very sadistic."

"It's probably because they're locked up all alone for so long," Zora says. "Loneliness does bad things to people."

"You're not wrong," he says.

Two peals of laughter ripple throughout the room, echoing along the cavern's walls. Zora covers her ears to try and block it out. There's a bright flash of green light and two figures appear before them. Their forms are constantly shifting, as if their bodies are mutable.

"I am Do-pahikar!"

"I am Dopatkar!"

The two figures link arms and form one being. In their conjoined aspect, they have four eyes, two noses, two mouths, four arms, and four legs. One mouth is smiling, the other is grimacing. Their body is mottled with greens and oranges.

"Together we are! Do-Pat-Hi-Kar!"

"I am the aspect of philosophy," says the grimacing mouth. The smiling mouth opens up. "I am the aspect of volatility!"

"Welcome to our challenge chamber!" they say together, followed by: "We're excited to play a game with you!"

"I wonder what we can do to them?" says the smiling mouth.

"Let them have a battle of wills!" the grimace yells. Sinbad seems taken aback, but determined. Zora wonders what he went through to have that kind of reaction. She's read some of his books. He seems to have a strong enough will. Do-Pat-Hi-Kar places two of its hands on both of their foreheads before either can react.

Zora feels her body hit the ground before she blinks open her eyes in a foggy landscape. She looks around but sees no one. She panics for a moment before she steels herself. It's nothing she can't deal with. She's been alone before.

She starts to walk around, carefully observing the fog for some kind of landmark. This is part of the challenge, so she has to figure out what to do. As she walks further into the fog, she becomes more worried. Is she doing the right thing? Maybe she should have waited for Do-Pat-Hi-Kar to appear and tell her what to do. She shakes her head. She doesn't need to be told what to do. It's a battle of wills. She can't break down and question herself. She has to be decisive and firm.

She stops walking and looks around, realizing she can't find her way back to the starting point. She takes in a sharp breath before closing her eyes and rubbing them. _It's fine_ , she thinks, _my body hit the ground before I came here. It must be an induced dream of some sort. It's okay. Don't worry Zora, you'll be fine_.

She continues to walk, looking around for some kind of sign. _So far I've met six…seven? Aspects. What's Khusak the aspect of? Did they just forget to mention it? I wouldn't doubt it. These aspects are all kind of scattered._

She is ripped from her thoughts as she runs into something solid. It grabs her as she falls back, holding her up. She looks up and see's Sinbad standing in front of her.

"Hey, thanks man," she says.

"Don't mention it. I couldn't let a woman fall," he winks. Zora rolls her eyes, feeling disgusted. Now is _not_ the time.

"So, what do you think is going on here?"

Sinbad's face is grim. "We're in someone's mind. I've only been in a place like this once before. I'm not exactly sure why we're here."

"If we're both here, how can it be one of our minds?"

"Maybe it's both," he says. "A shared mind-space. The aspect is able to combine itself into one amalgamated form, so why wouldn't its power have something to do with that?"

"I didn't even think about it that way. I thought I was supposed to find something in my own mind to deal with," she says. "I'm not exactly sure what this challenge is supposed to be."

Sinbad shakes his head. "Me neither. I can't summon any of my djinn or my aspect."

"What's Ser the aspect of anyway? Khusak didn't tell me."

"He's the aspect of leadership and vanity."

Zora raises an eyebrow at Sinbad. "You know the aspects are supposed to tell us something about ourselves, right?"

"All I'm hearing is 'natural leader,'" Sinbad shoots back. "Is this your first dungeon?"

She nods. "It's the only one I'll have the chance to enter."

"Why's that?"

She shakes her head. "Long story short, my brother and I are basically hostages of our father's wife, and I want the djinn to help us escape her."

"She's not your mother?"

"Nope. Our mom was a lady friend on the side. Our stepmother is infertile so she can't have children of her own," Zora snorts. "Not that she wants any. She's perfectly happy being a bitch by herself with no one to bother caring about. Why do you want the djinn?"

"I want to gain enough power to save the world. I want to create a country that will solve all of the problems that exist. No war, everyone is accepted and loved. There's no poverty or death or disease."

"That sounds like a nice idea," Zora laughs and elbows him in the side. "Hey, if things don't work out for me here, mind if I come and live there?"

Sinbad laughs. "Of course. Everyone would be welcome."

Zora gives him an appraising look. There's an energy surrounding him that moves some deep part inside of her. It's almost as if he's a being created from the essence of hope. She doesn't know why, but she thinks that if anyone can build a nation, it's him. "You're a cool dude, Sinbad. But I'm not going to let you win the dungeon."

"I wouldn't expect you to," he says. "We both have our own reasons for wanting to win."

"So, do you have any idea as to why this is a battle of wills?" she asks.

"Nope," Sinbad responds. "Usually the djinn are clearer on their challenges."

"Hm. Maybe we're supposed to discuss our ideology and try to win each other over?"

Sinbad sighs and rubs his brow. "That's probably what it is. The last dungeon I was in had a similar challenge."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I lost it," he mutters.

Zora pats him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry. At least I don't think our ideologies are totally different. We just have very different reasons to find gain the djinn. You want to create a country and I want to escape my stepmother, but we both want to make the world a better place in the end."

"What do you want to do for the world?"

Zora frowns. "My country is in a very bad place. It's ruled by the military, the people are starving, and all trade has been cut off from the outside world. The queen doesn't want any foreign influence. She's a purist. She treats the people as if they're slaves to the government. No one can speak out against her because everyone is afraid that they will be killed or that they're families will be killed. I was lucky enough to be able to escape here with my brother in an effort to get a djinn. I want to eventually fix my country and return it to the glory it was previously, before my – _the_ king was murdered."

"What country are you from?" Sinbad asks, looking interested.

"I'm from Merlyuda."

"I've heard of that place from some of the locals of this island. Apparently it was a trading hub because of its valuable resources."

"Yeah, and then the queen decided that she didn't want to 'give away' anything to those nasty foreigners," Zora rolls her eyes. "Saving my own country is the first step for me to try and better the world."

"I feel similarly, except to save the world I need to create my own country first."

There's the sensation of cold water being thrown on her, and then Zora is opening her eyes to see the ceiling of Do-Pat-Hi-Kar's chamber. She sits up, holding her head and sees Sinbad looking similarly confused.

Do-Pat-Hi-Kar is kneeling in front of them, looking upset.

"It isn't fun when you agree! You're not supposed to support each other, you're supposed to want to _kill_ each other!"

"I don't want to kill her."

"I'm not going to kill him!"

"But death is so interesting," says the smiling one.

"I just like watching people suffer," says the grimace. "But I _guess_ if you can't fight each other philosophically, we'll have to do something else! You need to prove your worthiness! Hurry, Do-pahikar! Ideas!"

"I don't know! You choose! You know I can't make decisions!"

"You're worthless," the grimace snaps before tears well up in 'Do-pahikar's' eyes. The grimace begins to try to placate their upper half. Zora watches the spectacle, unsure what to do. Should she intervene? Or let the grimace get cried on by their upper half?

"Hey, guys," she tries. The aspect whirls towards her.

"I don't want to hear your attitude! Half of me is sad!" …Dopatkar( _maybe?_ Zora isn't sure) screeches. Do-pahikar lets out a breath and rolls their eyes to look up at the ceiling.

"I'm always sad. The only thing that could make me happy is the sweet embrace of death."

"I don't know if I want this djinn," Sinbad mutters. Zora nods in agreement. She's tired of this!

"Look," Zora steps closer to the sobbing and angry aspect. "I want to help. What can I do?"

"I don't know! I can't make decisions!" the two voices wail in unison.

Sinbad steps forward. "Then choose me as your master."

Zora gapes at him. The two aspects nod and run to him.

"I'm so glad I don't have to make any decisions," Dopatkar says, sticking out one of its hands and putting it on Sinbad's ribcage, over his ribs.

"Me too," Do-pahikar agrees, placing its hand next to its other half's.

Sinbad lets out a groan of pain and then wheezes. He rubs his chest when they release and turns to look at Zora. Zora glares at him.

"What the fuck," she snaps. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Women shouldn't say those words," he says.

"I'll show you words, you bitch," she rolls up her sleeves and stomps towards him. He raises an eyebrow down at her.

"What? Angry?"

"Yes! That was a dick move," she tells him. Sinbad shakes his head.

"This is a dungeon, Zofia ( _oh yeah,_ Zora thinks, _he still doesn't know my real name_ ). If you were looking for a fair competition, you came to the wrong place."

"Fuck you," she bites out, very angry even though she knows he's right and she had been planning on cheating him out of aspects anyway.

"No thanks," he says with a grin.

Do-Pat-Hi-Kar tilts their head to the side, as if listening to something before clapping their four hands. Cenek and Sinbad's friends appear in the air and crash to the ground. Cenek sits up and rubs his head, looking around.

"What…?" he asks. A white haired boy next to him stands up and runs to Sinbad.

"Sinbad," he says, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I won the aspect," Sinbad says. "But I'm not sure what's going on other than that."

"Ah! Damn! You lost?" Cenek asks his sister. Zora feels too ashamed to meet her brother's eyes, but she nods anyway.

"I did. He took an opportunity I didn't realize we had," she sighs. Cenek glares at Sinbad, but stays quiet. "It's fine though! We have six more aspects to meet and win! There's still a chance."

"Speaking of _aspects_ ," Do-Pat-Hi-Kar cuts in. "The next one is Kalakang and he has a team challenge in mind."

"A team challenge?" Zora asks, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, to test the comradery between a king and his followers," Do-Pat-Hi-Kar explains. "Kalakang is the aspect of friendship and healing."

"What's Kalakang like?" Sinbad asks. Zora thinks it's a smart move. So far, they've been going into the challenges blind to the personalities of the aspects in charge. Do-Pat-Hi-Kar pats (no pun intended) Sinbad on the shoulder, and then rubs it lovingly. Sinbad pulls a face and steps away from them.

"Kalakang's a wimpy-wimp!" Ser roars, appearing on Sinbad's shoulder. "But he sasses Khusak so it's alright with me!"

"He sasses everyone," Khusak retorts, floating next to Zora. "It's just a part of who he is. Also, Kalakang's not a wimp just because he's a healing aspect. You'd do well to remember who saved your life back when-!"

Tora slaps their hand over Khusak's mouth. "Khusak! You know we're not supposed to talk about that."

"Oh yeah," Khusak sighs. They look at Sinbad and Zora. "Forget I said anything. Basically, Kalakang will be a lot kinder than the rest of us. Probably, if you can handle being verbally hung."

"I've probably heard worse," Zora says.

Sinbad steels himself. "I'm not going to lose in a challenge like that."

Zora looks up at him from the side. There's something about the way he said it that makes Zora thinks he's lost one before. She remembers how he grimaced when talking about a battle of wits. It makes her curious. His stories had always cast him as an unbeatable hero. She wants to know more about him.

But she won't learn, because she has no plans to interact with him after she wins the dungeon. She has too much to do to waste being curious about the first dungeon conqueror.

Cenek grabs her hand. "Don't worry, sister! We'll definitely win if it's a team competition."

She grins down at him. "You're right, Cenek. I'm not worried at all," she shifts to look Sinbad in the face. "You won't be getting another aspect. _I'm_ going to win the dungeon."

He raises an eyebrow and smiles condescendingly down at her. "I'd like to see you try."

* * *

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand

that ends part 1 of the dungeon! i'll have part 2 up within a week!

some notes about portrayal:

-Sinbad was dealt a _huge_ blow during the zepar dungeon. he was forced to face all of the insecurities he didn't even realize he had about becoming a king of his own nation. also: it was _right_ after the slavery arc, so he had his confidence destroyed twice in two consecutive arcs. he's in it to win the dungeon, but he's also lost a lot of confidence in himself since he lost to serendine.

-Ja'far, Masrur, Mystras, Sharrkan, and Hinahoho will be a lot more active in the next chapter during Kalakang's challenge! They were quiet in this chapter because they were only shown like twice, and since the story focuses mostly on Zora and her actions, she doesn't always notice things, especially in the heat of the moment.

-If you want to read about the demon I based Orias off of, here's the passage from the wikipedia article:

"In demonology, Orias (also spelled Oriax) is a Great Marquis of Hell, and has thirty legions of demons under his command. He knows and teaches the virtues of the stars and the mansions of the planets (the influence of each planet depending on the astrological sign in which it is in a specific moment and the influence of that sign on an individual depending on how the zodiac was configured at the moment of his/her birth or at the moment of asking a question to the astrologist); he also gives dignities, prelacies, and the favour of friends and foes, and can metamorphose a man into any shape." ( wiki/Orias)

-The aspects are the 12 personalities of the djinn, and to form the djinn all the personalities must come together. We'll see who ends up with the djinn in the next chapter!

 **so! thanks for reading and i hope you review!**


	2. The Dungeon of Orias Part 2

five hours of research on team-building exercises from hell later… a new chapter! thanks to everyone who read this and a _big_ thank you to everyone who reviewed!

**In case this wasn't clear last chapter because of typos:

-Sinbad doesn't know Zora's actual name because she lied about it, but he does know Cenek's name because Cenek was referred to;

this chapter is a beast and not thoroughly edited bc I am sick so pls be gentle ;;-;;

* * *

The first thing that Zora notices about Kalakang's room is the dampness. The air is humid and cold to the point it's almost hard for her to breathe. If she hadn't thought she was in a cave before, she thinks so now. The second is that the large pool of water at the end of the room, immersing a humanoid figure with pinchers instead of hands.

"That must be Kalakang," Sinbad says, voice Zora's thoughts. He takes the lead, walking towards the pool of water. Zora speeds up until she's walking next to him (like hell is she going to let the Do-Pat-Hi-Kar fiasco happen again). The humanoid figure turns to them.

"You are correct in thinking I'm Kalakang, Child of Ser," Kalakang says. He rises out of the water "I am the aspect of friendship and healing, though I'm sure you were told that before you came here. I would like to challenge your ability to work with your followers." Kalakang's black eyes sweep over the group. "I see that Ser's star-child has more followers present than you, Child of Khusak. You will be glad to know that will not affect the outcome of my challenge."

"Thank you," Zora bows her head to the aspect. At least this djinn seems to be fair.

"I will be testing your ability to command your subjects through a series of obstacles. This test will not only examine your leadership and whether you can command without hesitation if the need arises, but also your subjects' willingness to trust you whole-heartedly. Unlike the other three aspects you have met, I disagree with causing unnecessary death," Kalakang tells them, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm the aspect of _healing_. The only death that will arise from my challenge is from your own downfalls as a leader, as it should be."

"I see," Sinbad says. "Explain the task and we'll fulfill it."

"I will construct an obstacle course for you to guide your followers through one at a time. It will be different for each person. As the kings, you will be able to see the full course, while your followers are blinded. They have to listen to you completely and utterly, or they can be hurt or stuck. This also requires you to examine the course and guide them through the best route. Sometimes, there will be obstacles in all paths, and you must choose the best one for them in regards to their own skills. Do you know your subjects? Can you make plans with their weakness in mind? Will you be able to judge whether a certain path risks injury or death correctly? This results of this challenge are completely up to you."

 _Why couldn't the other challenges be as clear-cut as this one?_ Zora asks to herself. A hand touches her arm and she turns to see her brother looking up at her. His face is set into a determined expression. She searches it for fear, but finds none.

"I trust you with my life," he says. "We're going to win this challenge."

She grins down at him. "You got that right, little brother." She smiles at Kalakang. "We're more than ready for this kind of challenge."

"We won't let you down, Sin!" says the small grey-haired child.

"Yeah," says the one that looks to be about Sinbad's age. "We know you'll lead us in the right direction."

"Thanks, Ja'far," he nods to the grey-haired child, "Mystras," he nods to the other one who had spoken. "We'll be the ones to win the challenge. I trust my friends and they trust me.

"It's great that you're both confident, but who knows what'll happen," Kalakang says. He snaps his webbed fingers and Zora stumbles as she appears on a ledge. There's a moment where she thinks she's going to fall off as she loses her balance, but Sinbad grabs her by the back of her shirt and pulls, helping her readjust herself. She gives him a look of gratitude, a hand over her heart.

"Thank you," she says. He shakes his head.

"Don't mention it. I'm not going to win a dungeon because my competitor fell off of a ledge during a challenge. What's the fun in that?"

"Well, thank the gods for your desire to have a good time," Zora laughs. Kalakang whistles to get their attention.

"Since the Child of Ser has more friends (there's a small _'yeah he does!'_ from where Ser is laying on the ground next to Kalakang's pool of water) than Khusak's star-child, he will go first." Kalakang snaps his fingers and the ground changes into a maze. Ja'far stands at the gate with a band over his eyes, making him unable to see anything. There are different obstacles within the maze, so not only will Sinbad have to figure out which way to make Ja'far walk to get out of it, he also has to take into consideration the path with swinging axes, the path with fire coming out of the ground, the path with patches of quicksand, and the bath that looks suspiciously clear, but will probably be the most dangerous one of all.

"Start whenever you are ready, star-child!" Kalakang says. Zora watches as Sinbad surveys the maze and its challenges. It takes a few minutes before he decides on which path to send Ja'far.

"Take two steps forward then one to the left," Sinbad commands. _Ah, the axe path_ , Zora thinks. "Turn 180 degrees and the walk forward five steps." Ja'far does what he says and stops. Sinbad's eyes follow the blades. "Count three seconds then walk forward two steps." Sinbad continues to direct Ja'far until he reaches a crossroads. "Go to the right," Sinbad directs. _Snakes_ , Zora notices, slithering around on the ground. "Walk very softly and watch your step," Sinbad tells him. It's a slow-going process, but Sinbad eventually is able to direct Ja'far out of the maze. The blindfold disappears from Ja'far's face.

"Good job, star-child," Kalakang congratulates him. "Now for your next friend."

The next one to go is the red-head, Mystras. The maze changes again, this time it's a harder pattern to figure out and the challenges are more arduous, because it now each route has an obstacle Mystras has to climb over. Sinbad ends up getting Mystras out of it, but not before Mystras was bruised from a particularly nasty fall onto some rocks. There's a large bruise blooming on the side of his face, and Zora can see him pick at the gravel that is embedded in a scrape on his hand.

The tall friend is the next to go, and he makes it through Sinbad's chosen path filled with water challenges easily. Zora thinks that Sinbad was able to work him through the fastest. It was a good level for them. She starts to worry, how will she prove her cunning with only one chance? She remembers that Kalakang said her only having Cenek won't affect the outcome of the challenge, but she has to wonder what that _means_ for them. What will she have to guide him through?

The next one is the small redhead, who does hesitate a few times when he seems unsure of his footing, but he eventually makes it all the way through as well. The maze shifts as the young Heliohaptian stands in the mouth of the gate. He shifts around nervously. Zora looks at the challenges and wonders how Sinbad is going to figure out this one. It's definitely the hardest of the mazes. Sweat beads on his brow as he observes the possible outcomes. There's no way the kid can get through without sustaining some kind of injury.

Sinbad rubs his brow and closes his eyes before looking over the course again. His expression has gotten more and more pinched as the challenge has worn on. Not that Zora can blame him. She's very anxious about what she'll have to guide Cenek through.

"Sharrkan," he starts, and the boy startles, "take ten steps forward. You may feel something wet under your feet, but it's fine."

The boy nods and walks slowly, grimacing as his feet come into contact with the mud. Kalakang snaps his fingers and rain begins to descend on that part of the maze.

"Damn it," Sinbad curses. "If it wasn't going to be hard enough…"

Sharrkan balks but waits for Sinbad's command. "You're going to need to start to walk uphill. Go carefully, on all-fours even, if you need to."

As Sharrkan starts to climb the ascending slope, the rain starts to pour harder. He slips and slides down when he's not even a quarter of the way up.

"That's alright, try again," Sinbad says. Sharrkan starts to dutifully climb the hill. He gets a bit further, but loses his grip as the clump of grass he'd been holding on to comes out of the ground and falls. He hits the ground harder, lands on his arm, and hisses in pain. Sinbad grits his teeth loud enough for Zora to hear. She can't take her eyes off of the boy below them. "Sharrkan, are you able to try again?"

Sharrkan stands up, slips, and then stands up again. The water is coming down so heavily, it pools around his ankles. His tunic is completely soaked through. Zora feels bad for him. He can't be older than nine, and yet he has to do this… Sharrkan approaches the hill and starts to climb, going as slowly as he can, feeling around for good places to hold. He seems to be favoring his left shoulder, but he does eventually make it to the top.

"Stop," Sinbad commands. "In front of you is a drop off into a river, but also a large tube that you need to crawl through to make it to the next overhang. You'll need to jump and grab onto the tube, then pull yourself in. It's straight in front of you."

"Okay," Sharrkan says, but his voice is wavering. Zora agrees with Sinbad that it should be easy to jump on, but Sharrkan is soaked from the rain and covered in mud, plus he's injured his shoulder and it's only been on obstacle so far. She knows that there was no way Sinbad could have predicted the rain. If the rain hadn't have happened, Sharrkan should be able to make it through the first two obstacles easily. She figures that's the point of the challenge though.

Sharrkan jumps from the hill and onto the edge of the tube. He scrabbles at it, trying to keep his upper body on the lip as he pulls up his legs. It's painstaking to watch, but he's able to get inside of it. He crawls through, hesitating as the suspended tube shifts with every movement. He crawls out of it and onto the ground on the other side.

"Good job," Sinbad encourages, but his hands are shaking. "You're doing great, Sharrkan. Let's keep going. Walk five steps to the right, then turn –right there! –and take fifteen steps forward." The first five steps are fine, but then a shadowy hand reaches out from the wall of the maze and pushes Sharrkan into another. Hands start to appear, jostling him until he starts to run, blind, trying to get way from them.

"Sharrkan! Stop! They're gone," Sinbad calls out as Sharrkan blows into the next obstacle. His feet hit the water of a dark pool and he stops. "To your left is a boat, you're going to need to row across, can you do that?"

"Yes," Sharrkan says, but his voice is shaky and high with fear. Zora would be afraid too, if she was a young child who can't see anything and starts to get pushed around by phantom hands. Sharrkan feels around for the boat before getting in it. He picks up the paddle and waits for Sinbad's commands. Sinbad guides him through the water, and everything is fine until he gets a bit farther out and the growling starts. Zora doesn't recognize the sound of the animal, but Sharrkan seems to. His strokes falter to a stop. There's an outline of a scaled spine along the surface of the water. The growling continues. Sharrkan seems to shake in the boat.

"What is that?" Zora asks, pointing to the animal. Sinbad's eyes watch it warily as more scaled backs start to surround the small boat.

"Crocodile," he says quietly. "It's fine Sharrkan, they can't get to you. Keep paddling."

Sharrkan's fear is a palpable substance in the air of the cavern. He doesn't move. The growling seems to increase. The boat rocks as one of the crocodiles bump into it. Sharrkan makes a loud whimpering noise. At the end of the maze, the short red-head, starts to go back into it.

"Masrur, stop," Ja'far shouts, grabbing onto him. Masrur breaks free of Ja'far's grip and goes back into the maze. Sharrkan starts to cry as his boat is rocked by the crocodiles. Masrur tries to reach him, but the walls of the maze block his way. Water goes into the bottom of the boat as one of the crocodiles almost makes it capsize.

Sharrkan sobs turn into screams as he tries to rebalance the boat. The paddle falls into the water with a splash.

"What kind of challenge is this?" Zora shouts down to Kalakang. "I thought you said you disliked unnecessary death. He's only a child!"

"Well, this is Sinbad's fault for choosing the path," Kalakang says.

"There's no way Sinbad could have known there were crocodiles in the water," Zora says angrily.

"This is the djinn's challenge," Sinbad cuts in. "We have to respect that." _There's no way that Sharrkan can continue through_ , Zora thinks. _He lost the paddle and he's surrounded by crocodiles in the middle of a pool of water who knows how deep…_

"Damn," Sinbad curses. He straightens from where he had been crouching to look over the ledge. "Kalakang, I forfeit the challenge. I can't allow one of my friends to get hurt."

"Alright," Kalakang says and snaps his fingers, making the course disappear. Sharrkan scrambles away from the boat as the blindfold disintegrates from around his face. Masrur runs to him and grabs his hand. Ja'far, Mytras, and the tall one are not far behind. Sinbad descends from the cliff and makes his way to his friends.

"Sharrkan," he says hurriedly. "Sharrkan, are you okay?"

Sharrkan sniffles, trying to stop his tears. He's still shaking. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was so scared when I heard the crocodiles. I'm sorry."

Sinbad sighs and pulls him into a hug. "It's alright. Don't worry about it. There are more challenges to come. I should have paid better attention to the water."

"The castle is right by the Potamoi River, and it's full of them. They're really aggressive and I was always told to stay away from them," Sharrkan explains with his voice thick from crying.

"I told you its fine," Sinbad says. "We're all afraid of something."

Sharrkan nods.

"Not to try and diminish the importance of what's happening here," Cenek starts, gesturing to where Sinbad and his crew were trying to comfort Sharrkan, "but does this mean we don't have to participate in the challenge?"

"Of _course_ you do," Kalakang says, as if it's obvious. "You're still competing with Sinbad's previous runs."

"But I thought he forfeited?"

"He forfeited one round, which _will_ count against him, but he still was able to get eighty percent of his companions through."

"But you said that him having more companions wouldn't affect the outcome of the challenge," Zora says. "How can that be when you've seen him succeed eighty percent of the time?"

"I will judge your run against each of his runs separately. If yours is better for a larger percent of them, then you will win my aspect. If not, then he will," Kalakang holds up a finger. "Just think! You've already gotten twenty percent above him because of his final run!"

Zora still doesn't think it's fair, but she knows better by now than to question an aspect.

"Alright," she puts a hand on her brother's shoulder. "We're ready to try."

"Great!" Kalakang snaps his fingers. Once again, she and Sinbad are on top of the ledge, but this time it's Cenek at the start of the maze. Zora steeples her fingers as she observes the maze. It seems to be the same level of difficulty as Sharrkan's. _What can Cenek do best?_ She thinks. _Magic_. _He can use his magic. Sinbad made use of Masrur's strength to get him through the maze, why can't I have Cenek do his magic? I'm going for maximum speed, minimum injury_.

She quickly plans the route for him to take, reminiscing on the magic lessons she'd accompanied him to. While his natural alignment is with life magic, he's adept at lightning, and decent with light. He's only just started to learn strength magic.

"Okay, Cenek are you ready?" she asks. Cenek shoots a thumbs up in the direction of her voice. "Pull your wand out of your sleeve. We're going to be using magic."

Cenek does as he's told. Sinbad makes a noise of surprise.

"Great, now I want you to walk to the left for five steps, then turn thirty degrees and continue walking for three steps," she watches as Cenek comes to a stop in front of the water sparking with electricity. "Now, command the electricity to move around you, and swim in a straight line."

Cenek does as he is told, immediately. He waves his wand and then starts to swim. Zora watches as the currents bend around his body, never touching him. He reaches the other side and squeezes the water from his clothing.

"Good job. Now go seven steps straight in front of you. I know that you just learned this technique, but I want you to perform the magnetic repulsion spell."

Cenek does as he is told. A faint purple light forms around him. "Great, now walk forward for fifteen steps." Cenek walks, floating over the metal spikes beneath his feet. "Now, make a tree and climb over the wall to the other section," she guides him in his climb and descent. "You're now going to be going into a room filled with fire. Use your borg and I'll guide you through it."

Cenek focuses and activates his borg. "Two steps to the right. One step forward. Wait for it. Okay, five steps forward! Two steps to the left, then three steps forward. Five steps to the right, and wait –now! -three steps forward!" He exists the room, the fire never hitting his borg.

"You're doing great Cenek," Zora encourages him, she surveys the maze, seeing that all she needs now is to get him to the gate. It was a good decision to send him over the wall to the other path, since after the fire, it's a straight-line out. "Okay, now run forward five steps and you'll be out!"

Cenek does as he's told and exists the maze. Kalakang snaps his fingers and the maze disappear. Sinbad and Zora appear next to their respective teams. Cenek lifts up both of his hands and Zora high fives them. She can see the grin on her face mirrored on his.

"We did it!" Cenek hollers, jumping. "Good job, sis! I knew you could get me out of there!"

"I'd never let anything happen to you, Cenek," Zora says seriously, but she can't help but smile. That challenge went very well, thanks to Cenek's magic and Zora's knowledge of it. Kalakang claps his hands.

"Good job, you two. Cenek trusted you completely, and I'm impressed by your knowledge of magic. It made it more than easy to guide him. It's also good that you took the shortest and most effective route possible to get him to safety. I commend you on that," Kalakang smiles, then turns to face Sinbad. "Your runs were good for the people that you had, but you were hesitant to use your friends' powers. I never said that djinn and household vessels were off limits, you just assumed that. Because their abilities weren't maximized, I'm going to give my aspect to the Child of Khusak. I do have a lot of respect for forfeiting to save your young friend, though. Maybe I'll remember that during the choosing ceremony."

"Choosing ceremony?" Zora asks.

"Yes, the ceremony where we vote which one of you we want to follow," Kalakang explains. "Of course, Khusak and Ser aren't allowed to vote. This will only happen if you both collect the same amount of aspects."

Kalakang comes out of his pool and splashes over to Zora. He puts a hand to her stomach and she feels pain. She lifts up her shirt and examines his brand. The mark is two curving lines running horizontally opposite of each other. "You've won my brand. Good luck in your next challenge, King Candidate. It won't be easy for you."

"Uh, okay," Zora's unsure how to respond to that. None of the challenges had been easy so far. Most of them were confusing and twisted.

Kalakang stomps in the water and a large swirling vortex whirls up from it and opens a gap in the world around them. He shrinks and swims through the air to Zora's shoulder, joining miniature Varak, Tora, and Khusak.

"Don't bring your friends to this one," Kalakang says. "Tarazuk just wants to meet the two of you."

Zora takes Sinbad's hand and leads them into the vortex. It opens to a large, minimalist room. At the end is a large scale with a woman sitting atop. She has large wings, and her eyes are golden, like a lion's. Her voice booms around the room as they approach.

"Candidates, I am Tarazuk, the aspect of Justice and Mercy. I will be judging the goodness in your hearts," she explains. The scales beneath her lower and the gates on them open. "My test is simple. I will say a number of ethical statements and your internalized responses will adjust your weight. The heavier you are, the more stones in your heart, the more immoral you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Sinbad says. He doesn't look worried, seemingly convinced that his beliefs are right. Zora raises an eyebrow. Moral righteousness? No wonder this will be hard. Zora's always found herself to care more about logic and planning than being morally correct. Not only that, but she's never been particularly merciful. Sinbad steps into one of the plates and Zora follows his lead. Her stomach swoops as the scales are lifted up, and they are brought to eye level. Tarazuk closes her eyes.

"You are involved in a war with another nation because they have been committing heinous acts on your people near the border. They are an overwhelming force. The only way that you can win is to capture the generals and torture information from them. Are you willing to do this to win the war?"

 _Yes_ , Zora thinks. _If they have been destroying my people, it's only right that they are also destroyed. I have no sympathy for them_.

Her scale sinks. Sinbad's rises.

"Fuck," she says.

Tarazuk continues. "Everyone is inherently good."

 _No_ , Zora thinks. _There are too many bad people for that to be true. Humans are greedy, they will do anything for personal gain._

She sinks again. Sinbad rises.

"Murderers and other brutal criminals, such as rapists, should be executed for their crimes."

 _Yes_ , Zora thinks. _Just like the first question, they deserve it. They have destroyed the lives of not only their victims, but the people who care for their victims. They need to be punished._

Zora sinks again. Sinbad rises up higher. If she looks directly in front of her, all she sees are his knees. She looks up at him. He looks down, his face is smug.

"Does open access to weapons make society safer, or more dangerous?"

 _More dangerous,_ Zora thinks, _if we let children be exposed to violence, then they will become violent._

There is no movement, which must mean that they agree with each other.

"A country receives the government it deserves. If a society suffers from an oppressive government, it is because the people have sinned, and therefore are being rightly punished."

 _No_ , Zora thinks, _the government is wrong when it oppresses the people, regardless of what the people have_ _ **done**_ _. If a leader doesn't care about the people, then what are they leading?_

The scales don't move once again.

"It is a man's right to have a mistress for pleasure, even if he is married."

 _No_ , Zora thinks, _a husband should be loyal to his wife. It's only okay if both partners agree to have a relationship with another person. It's only okay if the wife is given the same opportunity as the man_.

Zora rises and Sinbad sinks.

She raises an eyebrow up at him. She feels disgusted. He looks confused, as if he doesn't understand why it's wrong.

"The government is chosen by the people, therefore it reserves the right to control all aspects of the population's life."

 _No_ , Zora thinks. _The government shouldn't interfere that much. It encroaches upon people's happiness to have every move you make watched and judged and punished._

The scales don't move.

"Last statement," Tarazuk says, "Punishment never has any good effect."

 _It makes you smarter,_ Zora thinks. She remembers the darkness of the isolation chamber room. She thinks of the hours she'd spent there, by herself, thinking of ways to destroy her stepmother, plotting ways to avoid the room. She thinks of the powers of manipulation it granted her. _On the other hand, no one should ever have to deal with that kind of pain. Punishment teaches people how to avoid it, not how to grow from it_.

The scales shake, but they don't move.

Sinbad is still higher than her.

Tarazuk flutters off of the scales and next to Sinbad. "Your heart has proven just and merciful. I am now your aspect. She places a hand on his lower back. Sinbad grimaces.

"Thank you, Tarazuk," he says. "I'm glad you've chosen me."

"I respect your desires and goals," she says. "Your intentions are pure, even with the pain you have suffered for them," she turns to Zora. "Your heart is not pure. You are manipulative and morally ambiguous on a number of topics. Sinbad is also somewhat ambiguous, but his overall intentions are for the betterment of the world. Yours are more selfish. Also," she sniffs, "you lie a lot when you think it doesn't matter."

Zora feels ashamed, but she can't disagree. She wants a djinn to murder her stepmother, after all. She's always known that she falls into the morally grey area on the scale of right and wrong. Her views on the world aren't typically black and white. She knows that she's not merciful to people she believes have done unrepairable wrong. She doesn't understand how someone can be just and merciful at the same time. To her sense of justice, it seems counterintuitive.

 _Whatever,_ she thinks. _I still have more aspects than him_.

Tarazuk flaps her wings and a rip in the fabric of space appears before them. "Your next aspect is Gazdum. Good luck, Sinbad."

Sinbad takes Zora's hand and steps through the portal. The room on the other side is dark and damp, far damper than Kalakang's. Zora shivers as a chill seeps into her bones. There's the sound of scuttling in the distance. Feeling fear, she makes a grab for Sinbad's hand and holds it tightly before quickly letting it go when he tenses.

"Sorry," she whispers, abashed. "It's just really dark."

"It's fine," he says. There's more scuttling and a loud hissing noise. Zora falters in her steps and moves closer to him. The farther they walk into the tunnel-like structure, the darker it is, and the more Zora wants to go back. She doesn't want to be left alone in the dark. Not again. Never again. She can feel herself start to panic as the walls seem to close in around them. It's so dark, she can't even see her hand in front of her face. Her breath starts to come out faster.

"Hey," Sinbad's voice is calm in the dark and his hand moves up her arm until it rests on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Uum," Zora voice stutters out of her throat.

"Alright, here," Sinbad says, taking her hand and squeezing it. "You're afraid of the dark, aren't you?"

"Kinda," Zora mutters, already feeling better at the comforting feeling of his hand in hers. She doesn't know anything about him, but he seems kind. He's nice enough to do this for her, and while she wishes he _didn't_ because she's convinced she doesn't need any help, her fear keeps her from making that decision. She needs human comfort. She's afraid of being alone.

They walk in relative silence, the only sound in the tunnel are their footsteps, the drips of water, and the distance scuttling of what sounds like a _very_ large bug. Zora's not sure how long they walk when they see a light at the end of the tunnel.

"See that?" Sinbad says, "We're almost out of here."

Zora nods, her head brushing against his shoulder. "Yeah, thanks for this, by the way."

"Don't mention it. It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to let a woman suffer."

"I don't care about chivalry," she says. "I'm thanking you for trying to make me feel comfortable, even though we're technically enemies right now. I can see why you won Tarazuk. You're a good man, Sinbad."

"You're very honest," he comments. "That's a rare trait to find in our world."

Zora feels guilty. "I did lie about one thing."

"Oh?" Sinbad asks.

"Yeah, my name isn't Zofia. It's Zora. I don't know why I didn't tell you that. I think I was nervous about meeting you. I read some of your books."

Sinbad's chuckle sounds a bit embarrassed, but also slightly smug. As if he's not sure whether to be embarrassed at the exaggerations in his stories, or satisfied that his reputation precedes him in an isolated nation like Merlyuda.

"Take those with a grain of salt. I wrote them when I was fourteen," Sinbad says.

"They were good," Zora says. "Nice vocabulary and you did great at describing the details of your journeys."

"Thanks."

They keep walking and while the cave gets progressively lighter, the scuttling and hissing becomes a lot louder. As soon as Zora can see the ground in front of her, she lets go of Sinbad's hand. She smiles at him, still feeling a bit embarrassed at her fear. She knows her fear is more than just the dark, it's the loneliness the dark had come to symbolize to her, but it's not like she can explain herself. She doesn't know him and so she can't trust him with that part of herself. She doesn't even think Cenek knows the extent that Galina had hurt her.

The tunnel opens into a large room with a light floating around a large… creature. It has a barbed tail and eight legs.

"Scorpion," Sinbad supplies. Zora has never seen one of those before. The scorpion turns to them and Zora decides she hates scorpions. The scorpion's head is a woman's face. She's a pretty woman with deep red lips and black eyes.

"I am Gazdum," she hisses. "The aspect of truth and adaptability. Will you be able to adapt your minds to my challenge? Only time will tell…" her words trail off in a hiss and her legs scuttle her across the floor. Sinbad and Zora exchange concerned looks. Gazdum disappears as the light goes out and suddenly, there's a prick at Zora's neck. She falls to the floor as pain overwhelms her body.

"There is only one cure. Sinbad, will you be able to find it? There are three flowers in front of you. Two will accelerate the problem, only one will heal her."

Zora's vision blurs as Sinbad kneels in front of the flowers. She sees her childhood play out in front of her, outlined in grey. Her mother's wavy orange hair and teal eyes, just like her own, just like Cenek's. They both look like their mother. That's why Galina, their father's wife, refused to look at their faces. The veil covers Zora as she's presented in front of her father and Galina. She's three, her brother is yet to be born, but her mother is pregnant.

 _I am pregnant, King Ctirad,_ says her mother, her voice firm. Her back is strong and elegant.

 _Zofia,_ the man in the large chair responds. _What do you mean?_

 _I am pregnant with your second child_ , her mother continues. Her voice is sweet like honey, hard like stone. _You have two heirs now._

 _Will this one be a son?_ King Ctirad demands. Zora wonders why he cares. Are boys more valuable than girls?

 _It's too early to tell_ , her mother responds.

The queen, Galina, lets out a sharp laugh. _Is it too early to kill that daughter of yours? Is it too late for you to abort the other child? My husband doesn't need your children, magi._

When Cenek is born, Zora is happy. She loves her little brother, even though they are locked in a small room with their mother. Their mother makes them dolls with magic. Zora wants to do magic like her mother. Zora is four and she is happy.

Zora's mother is killed, slowly, painfully. Zora watches as her body is mutilated by the Queen, angry at Zora being named the heir. Zora has protection now, because of her father recognizing her. So the Queen decides to hurt Zora in whatever way she can. She takes her mother from her.

Zora is nine when her mother is taken from her. She holds Cenek close and covers his ears. She tries to help him sleep with the lullaby, but she can't remember the words, and corpses can't sing.

Galina pretends to be surprised when the King's Mistress and magi is revealed to be dead. Zora stabs a fork into her food and can't eat anything. She throws a fit and starts to cry. That's her first time in the isolation room. It's dark and her mother can't hold her anymore.

During her three days in the room with no food, water, light, or human contact. Zora decides that she must kill her stepmother. She has to make sure Cenek never sees this room. She decides that she will learn the art of subversion. She decides that there are some things she will never, ever forgive.

 _The king is sick, we can't help him_ , say the doctors to the council where Zora is sitting, veiled, next to her stepmother. Even though her mother is now dead, Galina still doesn't want to see Zora's face.

 _The king's condition is worsening._

 _We can't fix him._

 _We don't know what's wrong._

 _The king will die._

 _Father will die_ , Zora realizes, _and I will be alone with her. I am all that's standing between her and my brother._

She's thirteen when her father passes away. He was senile for two years before. Galina has been in charge since he became sick. _She's destroyed our country_ , Zora says as she looks out the window of the castle and sees the poor begging for food at the gates.

"Zora, _Zora_ , can you hear me?" a voice is calling her. She doesn't know where it came from. "Zora, wake up!"

Zora opens her eyes slowly and sees a man's face above her. She narrows her eyes in confusion, before she recognizes him.

"Sinbad," she says. "What happened?"

"Guzdam stung you to see the _truth of your heart_ , or something like that," he rubs the back of his neck with a wince. "When I was trying to make a cure for the poison, she stung me, too."

"Oh," Zora says. Her body is stiff when she tries to sit up. She feels like throwing up after that trip down memory lane. Reliving her childhood tragedies makes the anger that is usually a soft burn in the background come rushing to the forefront of her emotional landscape. "Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you that," Sinbad says. "You seemed to be in pain."

"I have seen all that needs to be seen. Zora has shown an adaptability of spirit, while Sinbad is steadfast in his beliefs and actions. We are each independently molded by our experiences," Gazdum hisses and scuttles towards them. Zora jerks back from her as the scorpion smiles at her. Her teeth are sharp and it's kind of creepy. "I have watched your earliest memories to see your natural capacity to adapt to situations. Children are the most honest creatures, in every species. We should all be more like children. I choose Zora as my master."

Gazdum presses a leg to Zora's hip and a splitting pain lights in Zora's bones. She hisses. Gazdum strikes the ground with the stinger on the end of her curved tail.

"Please leave now. I'm sure you will enjoy Nimasp."

Sinbad and Zora help each other to their feet and stumble through the portal into Nimasp's room. His room is warm, like Varak's, but not as much. The lights in it change colors as they walk, moving on the spectrum of yellow to red. It's not too bad. At the end is a centaur. The centaur holds out his arms.

"Hello! I am Nimasp! I am the aspect of freedom and wisdom! It's nice to meet you both. My challenge is marksmanship. But not physical marksmanship! It's the marksmanship of the mind. Can you solve my riddles?"

"Yes!" Zora exclaims, feeling excited. She _loves_ riddles and mind puzzles. Sinbad makes a face.

"The person who taught me how to read and write always wanted us to solve riddles. I hate them, they're completely nonsensical!"

"Riddles are so fun," Zora disagrees. "It really makes you think on a metaphorical plane."

"First riddle!" Nimasp exclaims, trotting over to them. "You will always find me in the past. I am created in the present, yet the future can never taint me. What am I?"

Zora taps her chin. _Something to do with time. What's in the past? What's created everytime a decision is made?_ "Ah! The answer is history!"

"Correct! One point to Khusak! No points to Ser!" Nimasp exclaims. "Next riddle! What body part is pronounced as one letter, spelled with three, but only two are said?"

Zora starts to go through a mental catalogue of body parts in her head. Sinbad claps his hands. "The answer is eye."

"Correct! The score is now one to one, Khusak to Ser, a tie! Okay, one more riddle. Whoever wins this… wins my aspect…" Nimasp rubs his hands together. "I can make you cry, resurrect the dead, make you smile, and even reverse time. I last only for an instant, but live a lifetime. What am I?"

 _Happy and sad. Nostalgia?_ Zora goes through the possibilities in her mind. _Fleeting, but forever. Reverse time…_ "Oh, is it a memory?"

"Yes! You are absolutely correct! Aren't memories so neat? I have a _lot_ of memories," Nimasp strokes his long beard. He trots over to Zora. "You've won my aspect, congratulations." He turns to Sinbad, an apologetic look on his face. "You _almost_ won my aspect. I respect the effort. Riddles are hard."

Sinbad looks upset, but Zora gets it. She's upset every time he wins. It's only fair. The aspects' challenges aren't ever fair, and seem to cater to certain personality traits over others. The dungeon is a hellhole. She wonders if every dungeon is like this, or if it's only Orias's specifically. Nimasp touches thigh with his front hoof. She shudders as stabbing pain erupts over her skin.

"I feel like this challenge was really easy compared to the other ones," Zora comments. Sinbad clicks his tongue.

"That's because you like riddles."

"Hah, probably," she answers. Nimasp rears up and comes down on the ground, opening a portal.

"I am now sending you to the next challenge! You will meet Vahik," Nimasp sighs. "I have a feeling I know who's going to win…"

Sinbad and Zora walk through the portal and enter a room. There's a goat laying down on the ground, eating some grass. It swallows its grass and then trots over to the two candidates. It looks over them for a long time.

"I am Vahik, aspect of ambition and judgement," she bleats. She then proceeds to violently headbutt Sinbad in the knees. "And I choose you!"

Sinbad rubs his kneecap, seeming to be in pain. Zora gapes as the goat stomps its hooves on the ground of the room to open another portal.

"There wasn't even a challenge?" she says.

"I don't need a challenge to see who has more ambition," Vahik bleats. "I made my decision after observing your hearts! Now leave this room! I am done with this!"

Sinbad stands up straight and shrugs at Zora. "Easy challenge for you, easy challenge for me. Ready for the next room?"

She nods.

"Have fun, with Dul!"

The next room's floor has a nice breeze rippling over the water of a small pool that they are walking on top of. A humanoid figure with a fishtail pops out of the water. She has long hair and a pretty smile.

"Hello, I am Dul. I want you to tell me what your future goals are, and by that I will choose who I want to wield me. But make sure to say it concisely!"

Zora steps forward. "I'm Zora. My goal in gaining the djinn is to take vengeance on my stepmother for the deaths of my father and mother. After that, I am to return my country to its former glory."

Dul hums a small whistle through her nostrils.

Sinbad puts a hand on his chest. "I desire to be the king of my own country in order to save the world. The world is full of hate and misery and war. I want to end that."

Dul nods and swims towards them, her tail splashing behind her. "I am the aspect of beauty and progressivity, and while both of you are beautiful, as is every creature, Sinbad shows a spirit that desires progress into a peaceful time. Zora, your goal is related to a vision of the past, so I cannot grant you my aspect."

"Why are these challenges going so fast?" Zora asks.

Dul laughs, scratching her cheek. "Well, we can watch all of the challenges so by the time you get to us, the last of the aspects, we kind of already have an idea of who we want," she waves her arms. "It's not like it's biased or anything! You've been competing throughout the entire dungeon, just without realizing it," Dul sighs. "I think it was beautiful how he helped you when you were afraid during Gazdum's tunnel challenge."

"I understand," Zora sighs. Maybe the dungeon isn't as ludicrous after all? She has to admit it was a beautiful action. To help your enemy. She knows that if she was in his position, she would have probably left him crying in the dark.

"Good!" Dul says with a smile. She places her hand on Sinbad's ankle while her tail slaps the top of the water and a portal opens next to them. "Here, the last aspect awaits!"

Sinbad and Zora look at each other before grabbing hands and walking through the portal.

The last room has a river running through it with a figure sitting on its bank, a fishing line in the water. The figure has to faces that are constantly shifting its features. It looks up at them.

"I am Mahik," the figure says. Its voice is two-toned, except it's the same voice –the difference is the emotion behind the words. "I am the aspect duality and diplomacy. I'm not going to keep you here and make you suffer when you've already learned from Dul that we are able to watch all of the challenges that occur. As aspects, we are all part of one greater being, meaning we have one greater consciousness. I have made my decision, and that decision sides with Sinbad. Sinbad has shown to be gracious throughout the dungeon, though he is supposed to be your rival for our power. That is a quality that is very desirable within a leader and a king candidate."

Mahik swings her rod and the hook lands on Sinbad's boot. A golden light runs down the string and into his foot. He curses at the undoubtable pain from a new brand, so soon after having gotten Dul's and Vahik's.

The room around them rumbles and then crumbles, revealing a door. Mahik disappears in a whiff of smoke. Sinbad and Zora walk to the door and push it open, revealing a smaller chamber. There's an automaton at the end, sitting limp while the aspects stand in front of it in a line, starting with Varak and moving down chronologically to Mahik. Each of the aspects is holding a stone with their brand on it. Khusak floats forward.

"Because Ser and I are your constellations, we aren't allowed to vote, however know that we both believe in our respective star-children and are proud of you." Ser roars his agreement to their statement before going to join Khusak on the sidelines. Tarazuk flaps forward.

"I cannot vote in good conscious. I have a higher understanding of justice than the other aspects. My vote shouldn't count, as it is divine. Please understand, Sinbad."

After that the aspects come forward with their symbols. First, Tora, who lays their symbol in front of Zora's feet. The next to come up is Do-Pat-Hi-Kar, who with no hesitation, lays their symbol by Sinbad. The rest of the aspects are slower to move, but they end up voting for the candidate who won them initially. The last to come forward is Varak, whose brow is furrowed. He stomps one of his hooves. Zora counts her tiles, then Sinbads, then repeats. They're tied. Four to four.

"I have a lot of respect for you both," Varak says, "and I wish that I had been able to test Sinbad. I've looked into his heart, but I am unsure how my task would have been received. What would you have done with your goal on the line? On the one hand, you care deeply for your friends. On the other, you care deeply for the world. Which is more important to you? I can't answer these questions. You have light in you, Sinbad. Light so bright it could blind me, but there is a lurking darkness, waiting to ascend and devour that light. I think you're dangerous. In my opinion, you're single-minded enough to ruin your friends. To destroy them for the sake of a better world. As the aspect of passion, I love you, but as the aspect of loyalty… I can't say for myself where your loyalties lie. With your friends? Or with your plan? Which is more important to you? For that reason, I have to place my tile with Zora," Varak turns his head to her. "Her heart beats consistently for her brother, her desire to keep the remnants of her family together never wavers. For that, I respect her. She has passion avenge her family. She has passion to save her country. She is loyal to her friends who have helped her. Your heart is not like this. It seems to be split down the middle. I don't know how to describe it. I've never encountered a person like you before, Sinbad. At least, none that I can speak of. I respect you, but I can't serve you."

"I see," Sinbad says. He looks like he's on the verge of an emotional whiplash. Zora feels bad. Flattered by Varak's words, but still bad about what he's said to Sinbad who's been so kind to her. Varak drops his tile at Zora's feet. A breeze whips around them, sweeping the aspects into the automaton. A billow of blue smoke curls round it and forms the shape of a large, androgynous djinn.

"Lord Orias," Zora breathes out. The djinn breathes out and stars seem to pour from them, surrounding his body in light. Their third eye opens and blinks down at her.

"So you will be my master?" they ask. Zora nods and holds out her hand. Stars pour from the djinn and a light extends from the metal belt around her waist. The symbols from the brands are etched around it, and at the center is the star of the djinn. The dungeon disappears from around them, until they are standing in the empty spot where it had been. Zora puts her hand on the belt and feels the power of Orias thrum through her. She wonders how the fuck she's supposed to use it.

Cenek runs to her, excitement on his face. "Zora! You won!"

She grins down at him, his excitement catching. "You're right! I did it!" she looks at the sun's position. "I wonder how long it's been… We need to return to Merlyuda and make sure no one figured out we left."

"I hope Borna's okay…" Cenek sighs. The two siblings turn around and see Sinbad and his group walking away, seeming downtrodden. "Oh!" Cenek runs towards them and cups his hands around his mouth. "Ja'far! I liked you a lot! Will I ever see you again?"

The grey-haired boy in question turns to look behind him and rubs his the back of his neck. "Maybe our paths will cross again at some point." Zora comes to stand next to her brother.

"Sinbad," she says. "I want you to make that country. I'm going to be routing for you."

He smiles at her, but it's a little sad. "I hope you're able to accomplish your goal as well, Zora. Good luck."

"Good luck," she responds. She feels like she should say something else, but she doesn't. She has a job to do. They part ways, and Zora and her brother return to the point they'd used to sail to Zrin in the first place. Now that she has the djinn, she has to figure out what to do. How to keep it a secret, but start practicing.

She looks to the horizon as the island of Merlyuda comes into view, storms surrounding it. Her brother manipulates the water to go around them as they reenter the barrier. He steers the boat into the swamp, carefully maneuvering it to their secret dock.

She steps out onto the bank of the swamp and looks through the branches of the trees to the top spire of the castle.

She has a lot of work to do.

* * *

oshitwaddup is back at it again with a longass chapter

 _Notes on this chapter:_

-Sinbad is feeling more confident in himself, at least until the end. I wanted to hint at his current behavior in Magi. First of all, Sinbad has a lot of love to give, but, in canon, it seems to fester and become corrupted into this warped sense of protection and devotion to the entire world. I mean, this is a man who claims everyone that lives on his island as his family. He takes in and raises children left and right because he just has so much love for the world and for his dream of uniting it. But he lacks the ability to successfully emote it, which is a big part of why I think he ends up becoming an antagonist. I want to explore how he can be set on a different path.

-The Potamoi River is basically the Nile. In the manga it doesn't say anything about a giant river running through Heliohapt, but I'm putting it there anyway for accuracy of our world to their world transfer. Also, crocodiles are _super_ aggro, so I think it's safe to assume the youngest prince would be told never to go near them.

-I chose the eye riddle because the word for eye in Arabic is:

عين

Which makes it the same answer if you pronounce it like it is in spoken Arabic instead of formal. (I'm still learning Arabic and my pronunciation isn't perfect, so if you know better, please correct me! I'm learning the shaami dialect, so!)

-The riddles come from doriddles so if ya wanna try out some on your own, go there! It's a really fun website and it's a good tool to stretch your mind.

 _Notes on general etymology:_

-Merlyuda is taken from the Slavic elements "meru" meaning great, famous and "lyudu" meaning people. So they are the nation of great people, due to their original trade prowess. That's been destroyed now, though. That'll be explored later as we learn more about Zora and her personal challenges.

-Zora means "dawn, aurora"

-'Cenek' is the Czech diminutive of 'Vincenc' which means "to conquer"

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! I would love to hear your thoughts!**


	3. Fever

**look who's back at it again with a chapter of this fic.**

 ***points to self* this girl.**

 **(lol sorry for the lateness I rewrote it like 4 times)**

 **So does anyone else's computer freak out when u write 'a magi' instead of 'a magus' bc like the singular form of magi is magus, but to keep consistent with canon I haven't been using it but like. I'm tired of my word processor being like 'um excuse me? Ur wrong ohshitwaddup.'**

* * *

Sinbad takes a swig of wine from his glass, leaning his elbow on the bar to support himself. That dungeon had been a fucking _joke._ He can't believe that little goat thing legitimately told him he had a propensity to do bad things to people because of his ambition. While Sinbad can handle a lot of bad things (because let's face it, his life, while he's made a name for himself, has fucking _sucked_ ), being told one day he may murder those he holds dear to further his goals struck a chord within him. In short, his feelings were hurt. So, he does what he always does: drink his worries away. Until the morning, when they come rushing back _and_ he's hungover. Rinse, wash, repeat.

A barstool gets pulled out next to him and he looks away from the wine to see Mystras sitting next to him, his face contorted with sympathy. "Hey man," Mystras starts, his words soft. "You can't win every dungeon."

Sinbad puts on a brave smile. "I know. I lost to Serendine, then I lost to Zora. But it's fine. There will be more dungeons."

"Well, for what it's worth, that last section was bullshit," Mystras tells him. "I've only been in like one other dungeon and that entire challenge-aspect thing was. Not fair, to say the least. Maybe you're better off without that djinn in the first place."

"It's probably very powerful," Sinbad says. "If each of the aspects have abilities, then whoever masters Orias will have basically twelve djinn at their disposal."

"That's assuming the aspects can function like regular djinn independent of one another. For all we know, maybe they just give the user different abilities like Bararaq Saiqa, but instead of only a few special moves per djinn, there's only twelve."

"Possibly," Sinbad says and swirls around the wine in his glass for taking a large gulp. The warmth of the alcohol settles in his stomach. "I've been considering going to Merlyuda next, or at least trying to."

"Merlyuda?" exclaims the barkeeper, suddenly entering the conversation unbidden. He raises his eyebrows and looks between the two teenagers. "I _really_ recommend you boys _don't_ go there. It's not a good place. At least, that's what we hear from the few people who are able to escape. Most who try have never come back. We believe them to have been executed by the Regent Queen."

"Regent Queen?"

The barkeeper nods. "Queen Galina. She's not a member of the royal family, but she was the wife of the late King Ctirad. When the king died, she was bestowed regency by the royal council until his daughter would come of age. She convinced the council to isolate the island and cease trade with the outside world. It's been…" he pauses. "I think about ten or so years since then."

Sinbad feels a heavy gaze on his back and he turns his chair to see a man staring at them, close enough to be in earshot of their conversation. He has long black hair tied off to the side in the same direction of his bangs, olive skin, stubble, and amber eyes. He's wearing clothes with embroidered edges that remind him of things he'd seen in the bazaars of his childhood, before he'd left his home. _Parthevian_ , he thinks. The barkeeper must follow his gaze because he beckons the man over.

"Ah, Kadhem! It's nice to see you again!"

Kadhem raises a hand in greeting before walking over to the bar where Sinbad and Mystras are sitting. He gestures to the chair next to Mystras. "Mind if I sit?" His voice is a rusty baritone.

"No, go ahead," Mystras says, scooting closer to Sinbad to give Kadhem more room.

"You're from Parthevia?"

Kadhem looks over at Sinbad appraisingly. "I am. You look like you're from the northeastern coast. You've got that color of hair everyone has over there. It's lighter than all the rest of ours."

Sinbad nods. "I'm from Tison, it's a small village."

"I'm from Susa," Kadhem explains. "But I spent a lot of time… travelling around the coast. I remember your village."

"By travelling do you mean running away from the draft?" Sinbad asks, curious. Most of the men in Parthevia had been drafted before they could even have children which added to the decline of the youth and the surplus of elderly in the villages around his. Seeing a man Kadhem's age not serving in the military and outside of the country -Sinbad assumes he escaped the country to keep from having to serve.

Kadhem chuckles wryly. "You could say that. I served for a few years before I decided that life wasn't for me. I left without permission and spent a few years bumming around there, since they're small and somewhat removed from the rest of the Empire, until I could get enough money to cross the border into Reim."

"How long ago was that?" Sinbad asks.

Kadhem exhales a long breath, counting on his fingers. "I joined the army when I was thirteen, got out when I was seventeen… left when I was eighteen… about sixteen years ago. Probably around the time you were born, actually."

"I was about one or two then," Sinbad says. "Did you know Esra and Badr?"

Kadhem nods. "Yeah, I did. I was the same age as her. I stayed with one of their neighbors for a few weeks before I moved to a different place. They were nice people, happy despite the circumstances. I guess they were your parents?"

Sinbad nods. "What did you do there?"

"I mostly helped with manual labor since the only other man there was your father and there was a lot of repairs and things that I could help with. I didn't want to spend a lot of time there though; it would have brought too much attention from the military," Kadhem gestures to the barkeeper for another drink and takes a gulp when it's handed to him. "You escape the draft?"

"Yeah, I actually conquered the first dungeon," Sinbad says. Kadhem's eyes light up.

"Oh, Sinbad the conqueror? I've heard of you, even in these far, northern waters."

"How have you heard of me? I wasn't aware my story stretched this far," Sinbad is, in fact, somewhat aware since Zora (from Merlyuda, even) knew of him, but he's curious as to how. His books aren't sold on these islands and he'd never been here before.

Kadhem hums, seeming to think of a way to answer, before he shrugs. "I bought your books in Reim for two kids I adopted. They really enjoyed them."

"Pardon my interruption," Mystras says, joining into the conversation, "but you seemed interested when we were talking about Merlyuda. Have you been there before?"

Kadhem nods. "Yes, actually. That's where I live most of the time. I smuggle things in from the outside world. Things like better fabrics, spices, and medical supplies."

"Medical supplies?" Sinbad asks, curious. Why would a country need that? There was no war in Merlyuda.

Kadhem looks slightly bothered. "It's not a good or safe place to live. There may not be any direct fighting, but the government does _not_ take care of its people. They're starving and sickly. When Queen Galina closed off the nation, its economy hyperinflated to the point that their currency means nothing, but she still requires them to pay outrageous taxes to keep her and the council's life as luxurious as before. That's how she buys their loyalty to her policies. There's a lot of corruption. Myself and a few others go around and try to treat people suffering from the plague that's overtaken most of the country."

Sinbad frowns, feeling his usual urge to help and fix the suffering of others. He'd never had to deal with the dismantling of an entire government before though. "I heard it's hard to get into."

Kadhem nods. "It's nearly impossible if you don't know the shortcuts -but even then, if you get found by one of the Queen's men, you'll be executed immediately. The only way for you to get in and stay is to be under the protection of one of the royal children. They may not have much power, but they can keep people alive."

"Is that what you did?" Mystras asks. Kadhem smirks into his drink as he takes a sip.

"Basically," he straightens up. "But I wouldn't recommend trying to go there at all. Queen Galina will likely find you before any of the heirs' people can. She has eyes everywhere."

"I understand," Sinbad says. "But you know the way to get in undetected?"

Kadhem hums. "It's less of a secret passage, and more of the means in which to get in. Merlyuda is protected by a magical barrier that creates storms that no one can sail through, unless you have a way to make a hole in it. Which I do. So, unless you also have a tool or a handy water magician, you're out of luck."

Kadhem sighs and stands, placing some coins on the table, which the barkeeper picks up and pockets. He pats Sinbad's shoulder. "Now, I've got places to be, people to see. Things to smuggle. For your sake, I hope the only place we meet again is far away from that island."

While Sinbad heard what Kadhem said, that doesn't necessarily mean he listened. Kadhem may not be able to sail through those seas, but Sinbad knows he _can_. He can sail through literally anything, as proved by all of his adventures before. No matter the type of boat, storm, or sea, he's confident in his ability to get through unscathed. It's how he got to be known as Sinbad the Sailor in the first place.

"We're going, aren't we?" Mystras says side-eyeing him. Sinbad turns to grin at him, but before he can say anything, Mystras holds up a hand. "You don't need to answer that, I already know." Sinbad stands up and pays the barkeeper for his drinks and the drinks of his companions.

"We'll sail in the morning."

* * *

"Maybe I should just poison her. Yeah, I think I will. That'll work."

"Zora," Borna, her retainer, says sounding put-upon. "You know why that's not an option. If that happens, the throne will go to your cousin. She's holding it for you. You have to get stronger and wait for the coronation ceremony on your twenty-first birthday, and then do away with her so she can't become a part of the council."

"But this isn't _working_!" Zora says, knocking on her belt, the metal links embossed with the symbols of the aspects gleam from her touch. "The only one I can use is Khusak, and they're _basically_ a freebie!"

"Then you'll just have to meditate more on the other aspects and figure out _why_ you can't use them. Here, sit down. I'm going to burn some cardamom," Borna stands up and walks to the corner of the room, lighting the fire underneath the incense dish before lying the cardamom inside. "Try and focus on _one_ aspect, the next one you wish to unlock, and go from there. Which one is calling out to you?"

Zora closes her eyes and places her hands on the belt, feeling it warm as she concentrates on trying to _feel_ the essence of Orias. She focuses so much on concentrating on the essence of Orias, that she actually gets no concentrating done at all. Frustrated the yells and throws her arms in the air.

"It's not working!"

"Try harder!" Borna crosses her arms and frowns down at the princess. Zora rubs her face in frustration, wanting to cry. How is she supposed to do anything when she can only use _one_ aspect of Orias?

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on in here?" Kadhem says, wrinkling his nose at the sharp scent of cardamom quickly filling the room. Zora turns around to smile at him.

"Kadhem!" she stands up quickly and goes to him. He bows to her quickly before standing up.

"Princess," he turns to Borna. "Bane of my existence."

They roll their eyes. "We're trying to get some _work_ done so if you could _please_ refrain from distracting the princess, I would really appreciate it."

"How long have you two been at this… meditation exercise? I'm sure Princess Zora could use a break." He shows the large back he'd put on the ground beside him. "I have new medical supplies."

Zora turns to Borna, her eyes wide. "Could I take a break?"

Borna crosses their arms. "You're the princess," with a sigh, they acquiesce. "You can go grab the prince and then go with Kadhem. I'll be right behind you. We'll meet at the usual place and then go from there."

Zora starts to leave, Kadhem picking up the bag and following her when Borna clicks their tongue. "Before you go, why don't you show Kadhem Khusak."

She nods and distances herself from her retainers. She breathes out a long exhale and concentrates on her belt. She frames the belt with her hands and feels the energy rush through her. " _Najmat B'yd Al-aathr_."

Magic spreads through her body and leaves her in a rush, materializing a shining whip in her right hand. Her hands all the way to the middle of her upper arms have turned a light purple color with light imprints of leaves trailing up her fingers to her shoulders. Kadhem's eyes widen as he looks at the whip.

"So, this is the djinn?"

"About one-twelfth of it," Zora responds. She turns away from them and lifts the whip, cracking it in the air simultaneous to a rush of energy being ejected into the world around them, rushing forth and cutting the wooden training dummies in half.

Kadhem whistles. "Is that all the whip can do?"

Zora shrugs. "I think so. I guess it would have a different effect if I actually hit someone with it, but I'm not very good at using it yet."

Kadhem laughs. "Yeah, I guess it'd be pretty far off from archery."

Zora releases the aspect and feels slightly more tired than she had before. Every time she's summoned Khusak since she'd received her djinn, her tolerance to the magic is growing greater. _Curtesy of having a magi as a mom_ , she thinks. "I'm going to go ahead and grab Cenek," Zora says to her retainers, leaving them to bicker (most likely). The two have always been parental figures for her and Zora wants them to get married, but that'll likely never happen. For one, she's not sure they have the ability to talk without arguing and two, as a foreigner, Kadhem wouldn't be recognized by the state regardless of Zora's protections.

She leaves the training hall and walks across a thin and short open-air bridge that leads into her and her brother's quarters. It's behind the main body of the castle, though there is a small road that leads to it from the main gates. Originally, the Royal Quarters housed all of the royal family, children included, but to her step-mother, Zora and her brother were better out-of-sight and out-of-mind. When she had been a child, living by herself in that part of the castle had been scary, but as she'd grown older she'd come to appreciate the freedom and isolation from Galina's gaze. It gives Zora a way and a place to plan her vengeful schemes and plot her way through the chess game that is Merlyudan politics.

The halls of her quarters are decorated with the precious metals that are found throughout the island's mountains and she lets her fingers trail across the embossments. She can feel the differences between the different metals used in the inlays. She turns a few corners before coming to the doors of her brother's room. She knocks on the doors and they're opened by one of his guards, an older woman named Radana.

"Ah, Princess Zora," she bows before opening the door wider. "Prince Vincenc just finished studying his tomes."

"Cool," Zora responds. Radana has always been serious and straight-laced, though she's loyal to them through their father's bloodline. She wants Galina off the throne, even if it's to have Ctirad's blood back on it. She's a purist, that way. Well, whatever her reasons, Zora needs all the support she can get. Radana holds the door to Cenek's study open and Zora sees him turn around. As he sees his sister, his face breaks into a dimpled grin.

"What's up, sis?" he asks, leaning back in his chair. Zora grins back.

"Kadhem's back and he brought supplies for the people."

Cenek perks up. "Oh, okay," he stands from his desk and closes the scroll he had been reading. He slips on his shoes and walks over to join Zora at the door. "Radana, could you make sure no one comes looking for me for the rest of the day?"

Radana bows. "Of course, my lord. Though I must say I don't agree with you flouncing about outside."

Cenek giggles. "I can take care of myself. I'm a magician, after all."

"I'm aware that you could protect yourself in combat. I'm worried about both of you and the disease that is plaguing our nation. So far, we've been protected in the castle, but every time you leave to deliver care to those who are afflicted it opens the door for the sickness to overtake _you_ as well," Radana finishes her lecture with a slightly deeper scowl.

"I understand your concerns," Zora steps in. "But it's our duty as the royal family to take care of the people and without the power of the throne, unfortunately the only way we can is to take matters into our own hands."

"I commend you for that, but it's unsafe. I'm surprised Borna even allows this madness to go on, though I know they're soft on those who suffer."

"I think it's more that they have a deeper understanding of the poverty afflicting our country," Zora remarks. "No offense, Radana."

"None taken. I am fully aware of Borna's history. Well, seeing as how nothing I say will change your opinions," Radana sighs and looks down at Cenek, "I will take care of your request."

"Thank you, Radana," Cenek gives her a bright smile. Her eyes soften slightly, but she keeps the same, constant frown. She follows the siblings to the doors of Cenek's quarters and then locks it behind them. The two walk down the twisting hallways to a hidden door that leads to a small staircase. They walk down it, meeting Kadhem. He gives Cenek a smile and a hug when the prince opens his arms for one before he gestures for the two to follow him to their meeting place.

"Borna's most likely already there," he says. "They left before I did."

Zora's not surprised, Borna's the type to get somewhere first because she'd rather the responsibility of making sure everything is safe, than leaving it in someone else's hands and dealing with the aftermath of a betrayal. The walk to their hideout is down the steep drop off behind the castle, scaling the wall to the beach-front. Despite Galina's typical attention to her tyranny, she never has people watch the cliff -it's insurmountable, if you don't know what you're doing. There's an alcove in the base of the cliff, hidden by rocks where Borna has made a medical station. It's a great place to hide medicine and tools from Galina, as well as to treat citizens who have need of overnight care.

Borna pokes their head out from the cave, seeing Kadhem and the siblings, before coming out of it completely. They're wearing a long cloak and gloves and are carrying a mask. It's the best way that they've found to protect themselves from disease. "Go ahead and change," they direct, pointing inside. "I've already laid out all of your things."

The three nod at them before heading inside to throw on their plague-clothes. Zora ties the mask around her face as she comes back outside, seeing Cenek already there, with Kadhem close behind. Each of them take a pack of triaged medicines and tools from Borna and sling it over their shoulders, before beginning the trek to the nearest city.

Before they even reach it, the stench of sickness and death reaches them, causing Zora's eyes to water. She tightens the strings of her mask and readjusts it, blocking the scent from reaching her completely. They aren't sure how the disease travels, whether it's through bodily fluids or by breath or by touch, but they know they need to be prepared for anything.

They split up into their usual groups, Kadhem and Cenek and Borna and Zora. Kadhem takes Cenek to the first house on the block while Zora and Borna go to treat those who couldn't make it home and are lying in agony in the streets. Zora kneels beside the first man she comes across, who's lying in his own vomit, his eyes rolled back as he writhes, clutching his stomach.

"Sir, can I help you?" Zora asks him quietly. He glances towards her and nods, his body shaking. Zora takes her pack from her back and goes through it helping the man sit up. She cleans black vomit his hands and arms then the blood from his mouth before taking out a mixture of herbs, fenugreek seeds, garlic, and golden rods. She gives it to the man and he eats it, grimacing at the conflicting tastes before swallowing it down. Zora takes out a small flask of tea made from dogwood bark, another effective way of breaking a fever, for him to wash it down with. "This should make the stomach cramps go away and get rid of your fever."

"Thank you," the man croaks, taking another sip from the flask. He holds it up to her, but she shakes her head.

"That's for you. Do you need help walking to the quarantine building?" He nods and Zora waves over Borna who just finished with another person. She helps the man stand up and Borna joins on his other side.

"Wait," he groans, "my family. I didn't leave when I was supposed to. Please check on them."

"Where do they live?" Borna asks, their tone formal.

"On the street by the temple," the man answers, his hand going to clutch at his stomach as he is jostled by the motion of walking. The quarantine building is farther down the street, and as Zora looks ahead, she's gratified to see that there are less people stumbling towards it than there ever has been before. Their work, though small with only four of them, has made a difference to these people. Cenek runs past her to kneel at the side of a small child. The child is panting, but doesn't seem to be throwing up. There's no yellow to her skin. He pulls out his herbs and feeds them to her. As Zora and Borna walk past, he looks over to them.

"So far, all of these houses are clean. Kadhem's leaving them with some herbs just in case and instructions on what to do if they have a loved one who becomes ill, how to protect themselves from disease and so on," Cenek explains.

"That's good," Zora says, smiling under her mask. Borna and she drop the man off on an empty bed in the quarantine center. "While we're here," Zora starts, "we may as well check on those who are left."

The two take different rows of beds. Some are healing, others… Zora holds down her feelings of grief as she closes the eyes of a girl no older than she who didn't make it. She takes a red cloth from the bag hanging from the bedpost and ties it to it, signaling that the girl's body needed to be removed. She moves on, giving out teas and herbal remedies to those who still need it and to those who will probably die. Borna had told her not to waste medicine on those who she _knows_ won't make it, but Zora can't bring herself to look them in their bleeding eyes and jaundiced faces and _not_ help.

Out of the fifteen people she's looked over in the row, only five have died and only two are too sick to recover. They're catching the illnesses faster, and it's becoming easier to treat. Zora wishes they had the climate to grow fenugreek. It would be so much easier than waiting for Kadhem to smuggle the seeds in. Regardless of how many times they tried to grow it, the plants just wouldn't take to the Merlyudan climate.

Eventually, Cenek and Kadhem arrive in the quarantine building -what used to be a large festival hall -bringing a few more ill people. Zora takes the small child from Cenek's arms and her brother goes to start moving away the dead bodies while Kadhem follows behind to change the beddings. There's a large hole outside where they've been burning the bodies. It's the only way they know of to get rid of the sickness. Cenek starts the fire with a simple spell and Kadhem throws the bedding into the fire as well. He pulls out clean sheets and remakes the beds. Zora lays the little girl down on the first one that's ready. They guide the others to the clean beds before they go back to treating the rest of the people in quarantine.

Zora hears Borna sigh to Kadhem as he passes, that they wish they had more hands -a way to document the illness -they feel like they're moving through mud trying to save everybody. Kadhem quickly grips them by the hand and squeezes before continuing with the treatments.

It goes like this for another hour before they run out of supplies. "Let's go grab some more," Borna suggests. "Then we can go and check on that family the man mentioned." The group leaves the town and heads back to their cave. Borna removes their cloak and mask before taking off their gloves, making sure not to touch their skin with the outside of the fabric. Borna looks inside. "I'm going to need to make some more tea, for now, here are the rest of the flasks and here," they hand over newly packed bags filled with flasks and pouches of herbs, "is the medicine. Come back when you're done with those, and I'll have more ready."

Kadhem, Zora, and Cenek walk back to the city. "I'll go finish up in the quarantine building," Cenek says.

"I'm going to go check on that man's family," Zora says. Kadhem nods, following after her. Zora knocks on the door and waits. There's a cough from inside and then a haggard looking woman opens it, her face is pale and sweaty.

"Oh thank god," she says, "are you the doctors?"

"Yes," Zora responds. "Your husband told us to come and check on you."

Anger overtakes the woman's face. "That damn man didn't leave when I told him and now my kids are coughing and feverish. _I'm_ coughing and feverish. He went out when he shouldn't have and now we're all sick," she opens the door wider. "Please help us."

"Of course," Zora says, following the woman inside. Kadhem raises his voice.

"If he's sick, I'm going to start checking the other houses on this street."

"We thought we were safe," the woman says, "none of our neighbors have been sick."

"Well, no one's sure how this disease is spreading," Zora says with a frown. She opens her bag and puts it on the table in the middle of the room. She pulls out a flask of tea, "here, this will help reduce your fever and _these_ ," she pulls out a pouch of herbs, "will cure the fever and prevent it from becoming toxic, like your husbands. You and your children need to eat this daily and the illness should subside. Can I go check on your kids to make sure they aren't in the toxic phase?"

"Yes. Their room is down that hallway."

Zora walks down it and opens the door on the far end. This family must've been well-off before the plague. Who knows where they'll end up now. _At least the debt-collectors don't want to come here when everyone's sick,_ she thinks, _at least they can keep their homes before the disease has run its course._ There are two children in the room. They look around the ages of seven and ten. The ten year old is lying in bed, sleeping while the seven year old plays with a doll. The child looks up at her when she comes in, suspicious.

"Who are you?" she asks. "You look creepy."

"I'm a doctor," Zora kneels down on the ground next to the child. "Do you feel sick?"

The child hums. "Mmm, my tummy kinda hurts but mommy and Jarek are the most sick of all."

"I see. Do you think you could go into the main room with your mommy? She has some food that'll make you feel all better."

The child thinks about before nodding and standing up. "Okay. Is Jarek going to get better soon?"

Zora is caught between lying to the kid because she doesn't know for sure and saying that she doesn't know for sure. "Hopefully," Zora says, finding it an option in between a lie and the truth. The younger kid leaves and Zora stands to walk over to the older one's bed. He's curled in on himself and breathing heavily. She touches his shoulder and he jolts awake, sleepily blinking. "Doctor?" he asks, seeming to know more about what's going on than his sister. "Are you here to help me?"

"Yes," Zora answers. "Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

The boy nods. "I have a fever and chills and my stomach hurts. I want to throw up but I haven't yet."

"That's good, that you haven't thrown up," she looks him over. No blood on the mouth or in the eyes. No jaundice. Not toxic. "You look like you'll recover soon if you take your medicine when you're supposed to."

He nods. "Sounds fine to me," he stands up from the bed and stumbles a bit before following Zora out and into the room with his younger sister and mother. The woman turns to regard Zora. Zora nods to her.

"They'll both be fine and you should be as well. Here, I'll give you an extra flask of tea and bag of medicine just in case, though we should be back in a few days if you need more. By that time, you may be well."

"Thank you…" the woman pauses. "What is your name, dear?"

Zora chuckles awkwardly, not sure what to say. Should she lie or tell the truth? She wants their fidelity, not their fealty. "My name is Zora."

"Like the princess."

"Sure," Zora says with a shrug and begins to leave the house. "Get well soon, ma'am."

After that, she starts to work her way through the houses that Kadhem hadn't made it to yet, until running out of herbs and returning to Borna then pack to the city again. It goes like this for hours: healing, stocking, healing stocking; returning, leaving, returning. As the sun begins to sink lower into the sky, Zora returns to the cave for the night. It's not productive to work at night, when she can't see clearly. Her legs are wobbly from the exertion of climbing the steep slope to the city from the beach and down over and over again. She was returning on her own while Kadhem went to collect Cenek from a different street where he'd been working when she sees a large object on the beach below her hidden mostly from view by the cliffs, with many smaller masses surrounding it. She barely makes out the flames of Borna's red hair, falling from they're bun atop their head as they run across the beach from their cave to the…

Zora squints.

… _Shipwreck?_

* * *

 **Notes:**

 _Notes on Translation:_

-The ' indicates the ع (the 'ayin') which doesn't exist at all in English so I can't really tell you an approximate sound to guess what it is. But you can listen to it on youtube if you're really curious. It's a super common sound in Arabic but it's usually left out of transliteration if it's not written with an '. I chose to use the ' indicator because it _is_ there, even if English speakers tend to be unable to distinguish it as a consonant sound. Most people hear it as similar to the alif (ا) even though it's more similar to the ح (which also doesn't exist in English).

-Kadhem (كاظم) means 'one who controls his anger and doesn't act on it' (it's actually pronounced 'kazim' because of the way the ظ is pronounced in spoken dialects, however the ظ is transliterated as a 'dh') _**if you'd rather I just write Kazim, please let me know and I'll change it**_

-Borna is derived from the Slavic element ' _borti_ ' meaning 'fight, battle'

-Khusak's call means 'The Far-Reaching Star.' (bc it's a WHIP)

 _General notes:_

 _-_ Idk if you guys have looked at the magi map, but it's ridiculously hard to try and place where Tison actually is in the empire because Parthevia's basically a gigantic peninsula. BUT there is a small outcropping of it that's not connected to the main body of the empire, but dips into the gulf off of Reim. That's where I'm placing it due to that Reim spy dude who fell off a cliff and ended up being saved by Sinbad's dad. I assume he'd have to be close to Tison at that point and that's the only place on the map that's coastal and near the edge of mountains (where a cliff like that would be) and connected to Reim. SO, I recommend you guys look at that map if you're confused. It's the part of the Reim/Parthevian gulf that looks like a downwards ^.

-Merlyuda fuckin' sucks but at least it accepts people of all genders regardless of their sex. Also, varying sexualities. Because SOMEWHERE in the magi world needs to lmao (magi is super cis-heteronormative, which is like not cool imo). So yeah, Borna is nonbinary! Whoo!

Also, hopefully you guys aren't bored by these notes lol, I just think it's important not to decontextualize Islamic culture when using it to create characters or world-build. Imo, if you're going to be using Arabic names for characters, Arabic words for places, or Arabic words for magic/djinn in an OC fanfic, at least try to make it respectful to the language. Basically, Arabic is _not_ English. It doesn't function the same way. Google translate sucks for Arabic. If anything, use instead and look up Arabic word order (it's a completely post-positioning language) or look up an actual Arabic-English dictionary online.

 _ **TLDR; As a linguist, this shit is interesting and important to me, so it's not as if you have to agree or read any of the notes, but if you're interested at all in philology or other languages, give it a look! It's also a way for me to explain my reasoning about certain decisions I've made.**_

 _ **TLDR-TLDR; I'm putting way to much thought into this lol**_

 _ **PLEASE READ AND REVIEW I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS**_


	4. Safe

this is unedited bc I wanted to get it out quickly. Will I edit it? Maybe

* * *

He can feel crust on his eyelids as he opens them, coming to. He blearily sees short orange hair and croaks out a sound, " _Zora_ " before the person turns around he realizes that it's not her. The person takes a water-skin from a table near their side and pops off the cap, handing it to him. Sinbad sits up, feeling a sudden rush of a headache and downs it, drinking it all in one go. The person takes it back from him. They sit down on a ledge in the… he looks around. Cave. They stare at him imploringly. There's a tightness around their blue eyes.

"Where's my crew?" he asks. "my friends?"

"They're being taken care of. I was changing your bandages when you woke up," the person says. Sinbad looks down at himself, seeing that they're telling the truth. There's fresh, white bandages wrapped around his torso. "You were cut pretty deeply -probably from a piece of the wreckage during the crash."

Worry seeps into him. "How many people were you able to recover?"

"Only a few. Mostly the children survived. One around your age, one a bit older."

He feels a deep remorse for his crew, but he's relieved that it seems as if his friends had made it despite the wreck. He remembers the confusing seas, calm until they were suddenly surrounded by mist and rain, whirlpools, tumultuous waves. He got them as far as he could through the storm before the boat was ripped apart from underneath them.

"If it makes you feel any better," the person starts, "you're the only person who's managed to crash _on_ the island. Most who try to come here drown before they cross the bar."

"I'm in Merlyuda?" he asks.

The person nods once in assent. "Yes. Though I'm not sure why you'd want to come here. My name is Borna," they put out a hand and he takes it, shaking.

"I'm Sinbad," he says. Borna doesn't show any signs of recognition, but then again, they've had the same facial expression basically the entire conversation. "Where are my friends?"

"Deeper in the cave being treated by some other medics. We're in the area treating plague victims," Borna explains. "You all were lucky we were here when you crashed."

"Thank you for your help, but there's someone I need to find," he moves his legs off of the cot he'd been laying on and grits his teeth as pain rips through his abdomen. He starts to stand but Borna pushes him down, their hands on his shoulders.

"Whatever you're trying to do is nowhere near as imperative as your healing. In your weakened state, you're ripe for the plague that's been going around. Heal, then search."

"Can I at least go and see my companions?"

Borna clicks their tongue but nods. "Yes, I guess that would be fine. Let me help you." They put an arm around his waist and help him stand up. Sinbad leans his weight on them, hating not being able to do things by himself. There's pain in his ankle as well. He can't put his weight on it. He limps to a rock arch that opens into a larger cavern filled with candles. Inside is three people, two with hair like Borna and one who looks up at them. Sinbad knows him. _Kadhem_. Kadhem looks disappointed as he props up Ja'far's body against his knee and starts to make him drink water. Ja'far's eyelids flutter, but he's still unconscious.

"You're the first person to wake up," Borna tells him. They point to Ja'far. "That one had a pretty severe head injury," in the candle light Sinbad can see the bandages wrapped around his head, over his ear. "The little one with red hair is mostly just bruised. He had some internal injuries but we were able to heal those with magic," at the sound of the word, the shorter guy who was sitting next to Sharrkan turns around and Sinbad notices with a jolt that it's Cenek. From the dungeon.

"Sinbad! You're awake!" Cenek says with a tired grin. The girl turns around as well, and it's Zora. She looks upset and tired but fine. He can see the gleam of her metal vessel around her waist.

He tilts his head in confusion at the siblings. "I thought you were usually trapped by your stepmother?"

Zora stands and walks to a basin, rinsing her hands off as she says, "Usually that's true, but sometimes we're able to escape and help treat those who are suffering. Kadhem brings us the supplies we need from the outside world."

"I told you not to come here," Kadhem says, frowning down at Sinbad. He lies Ja'far down gently and moves on to Hinahoho. There's a bowl of poultice by him which Kadhem begins to smooth into his skin. Hinahoho's arm is set in a brace with a bandage around it. Mystras is towards the back of the cave. Cenek walks over to him and light appears around his hands before he sets them on his chest.

"I want to help this country," Sinbad says. Zora scoffs.

"Why? It's not your country to help."

Sinbad frowns at her. "So? I'm not the kind of person to leave others to struggle. I want to make the world a better place. That includes Merlyuda."

Zora shakes her head. "There's more at stake here than you coming in waving around your sword and magically fixing everything. Our people are impoverished, sick, and our government fucking sucks. It's not going to be fixed in like a day and a half or however long it usually takes you to do things. Fixing Merlyuda is a process."

Cenek laughs suddenly. "Well, it's not like he can leave anytime soon. His ship's wrecked and all his people are injured."

"Speaking of that, how long was I out?"

"Like half an hour," Borna interjects. They look over the bodies of the others in the cavern. "They should be waking up soon as well." As they say that, there's a shaky inhale and then a loud, pained groan from the corner of the room. Cenek and Zora rush over to Sharrkan who starts to wake. Zora hushes him soothingly and starts to help him sit up while Cenek holds up a flask to his lips. Sharrkan looks panicked for a second before he recognizes Cenek and sees Sinbad leaning on Borna to the side.

"What's going on?" he croaks. Cenek shakes his head.

"First drink this, it will soothe your throat and help reduce your fever." Sharrkan nods at his words and takes the flask in his hands taking a sip and wrinkling his nose at the taste. Sinbad starts to move towards him and Borna helps before supporting him as he goes to sit next to Sharrkan. Sinbad crosses his legs and Sharrkan leans his head against his arm, still holding the warm flask.

"I know it tastes bad," Zora says, "but it's really good for you."

"I'm hungry," Sharrkan sighs quietly. Sinbad nudges him to take another sip of the drink. Sharrkan's face is sweaty with a fever and his hands shake. As he watches the child drink, he remembers the plague. He looks up alarmed.

"He's not sick with the plague, is he?"

Zora shrugs. "Too early to tell. In the beginning it looks like a regular fever. That tea should help prevent the illness, though. To be extra careful he can eat these," she takes some seeds out of her pockets. Sinbad recognizes the smell. Fenugreek.

"Those are cultivated in Parthevia," he says. Kadhem pipes in from behind him, where he's tending to Mystras.

"That's where I get them from. Merlyuda's climate isn't good for the plants so we can't grow them here, but they're the only thing we have that can prevent and cure the plague. It's just hard to get them here and to distribute them without the queen becoming aware."

"Why would that be a bad thing?" Sinbad asks. Why would a ruler want their people to die?

Zora frowns deeply. "When the plague started, she put forward a tax on 'receiving aid' verified healers were required to report the people who they healed and they were taxed. It's just another way for her to buy the council's loyalty. Since she's only a regent, she has to get everything passed through a body of nobles, but all they care about is money."

"That's why we're trying to do this secretly," Cenek says. "Because if we're found out… we've all been breaking the law by rendering aid without reporting anything."

Borna snorts from behind them. "The queen can't do anything to you two."

Zora snaps her eyes up to give Borna a _look_. Sinbad starts to wonder at the siblings' identities. He knows Zora had lied to him before about her name. Has she been lying about anything else? Sinbad wasn't born yesterday. Borna sighs.

"Oh, I meant -I won't let her do anything to the two of you."

Zora smiles softly at them. "Thanks, Borna."

"Aren't you under the protection of the royal children? Kadhem said he was," Sinbad says. Zora, Cenek, and Borna all share a look before Zora says.

"Um, yes."

"Speaking of," Borna interjects. "The two of you need to go back to your _home_. Before your stepmother realizes you're away. It's already dark outside."

Zora makes a face and Cenek groans, whining, "But I wanna be here when Ja'far wakes up," with an over-exaggerated frown. Sharrkan sets his drink down.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Sinbad are the only ones who've woken up after the crash so far," Zora explains. "Everyone else is still sleeping off their wounds."

"Oh," Sharrkan says. He gets a sly smile on his face. "So I woke up before Masrur?"

Zora grins back. "Yep. You guys having a competition or something?"

Sharrkan shrugs. "Something like that. He never listens to me even though I'm older than him. He acts too cool, but he's only nine."

"I see. He's one of those kids," Zora nods, knowingly. Cenek laughs.

"Zora, _you_ were one of those kids?"

"Shut up, you were like five when I was nine."

Cenek sticks his tongue out at her and she retaliates. If Sinbad was one for nostalgia or regret, he'd wonder what it was like to have a sibling and feel a longing for one, but he doesn't. It may be selfish, but he's glad he got the time he did with his parents by being an only child. He sees a sadness lined on the edges of Borna's expression at the mention of them as children, but he doesn't question it. Borna seems slightly too young to be their mother or father (Sinbad can't tell what their gender is, they have an equal amount of masculine and feminine features), but the similarity between their features and Zora's and Cenek's is too uncanny to be a coincidence.

"Is Borna your cousin?" he asks Zora. Zora nods.

"They're our mom's younger sibling," she explains. Sinbad nods, noting that she still didn't address Borna by a masculine or feminine pronoun. While he doesn't understand, he's not going to try and guess what they're gender is.

"So, they're your…"

"Ommer," Cenek says. "That's the term for your parents' siblings when they identify outside of the gender binary."

"Okay," Sinbad says, still not getting what exactly that means other than Borna being neither a man nor a woman. Which is not something he's ever knowingly come across before, but there's a time for everything, right?

"Careful, careful," he hears Kadhem mutter from behind them. He turns to see him helping up Hinahoho and giving him something to drink before moving back over to Mystras who woke up at the same time.

"Sinbad, what's going on?" Hinahoho asks, grimacing as he jostles his broken arm.

"We're stuck on the island, but Zora and her friends are treating our injuries from the shipwreck," he explains. Hinahoho looks grim at the idea of being stuck on the island, but nods anyway. Sinbad feels bad. This will keep him even longer from seeing Rurumu and their children. "I'm sorry."

Hinahoho shakes his head. "It's fine. We're here now, we need to focus on getting better and getting off the island."

"Where are we supposed to stay? Didn't you say that foreigners are executed?" Mystras asks Kadhem as he rebandages his upper thigh. Kadhem looks over to Borna. The two have a silent conversation with their eyes before Kadhem nods slightly, almost to himself.

"I can speak to the princess and see if she'll help you. We can probably get you moved in secretly tonight, if she's willing to help."

"I'm sure she'll say yes," Borna says. There's a small smile to the corners of their lips. "She's kind."

Zora stands up and pulls Cenek up after her. "We have to return to our home," she turns to Sinbad. "We'll see you again, most likely."

"I'll walk them back and then speak with the princess," Kadhem says, standing as well. Borna nods.

"I'll stay with them."

The four go their separate ways, leaving Sinbad with Borna, wondering what's going to happen to them.

* * *

Zora rubs her eyes as soon as she gets back into her quarters. Kadhem had escorted her there and then left to return and bring Sinbad and his friends. She goes to her closet. If she's going to protect them, she needs to receive them. She hates the formality of it all and wishes she could just take a bath and go to bed, but instead she has to take a bath, dressed up, and do princess-y things.

There's a knock on her door and she tells them to come.

Javor, the head of her guard, sticks his head into her room. "Princess, you've returned. Kadhem told me you needed me?"

Zora nods. "Yes, please set up my receiving chambers. I'm putting some foreigners under my protection. Kadhem is bringing them in."

Javor furrows his brow but nods. "If you say so. Are they from Kadhem's country?"

"Yeah, basically," Zora says. Javor takes her word and leaves, going to do what she asked of him. Zora strips down and enters the bath, grabbing her soaps and towels. The water comes from a natural spring, heated by magic, and she steps in, sighing as the warm water laps at her sore thighs. She relaxes into the pool as she sits in the bath and wishes she could actually relax, but she needs to go fast. She cleans her body and then washes her hair before stepping out of the tub and drying herself off, wrapping a towel around her hair.

She goes back into her room and begins changing into her fineries, delicate, flowing fabrics of blue and green, draped over one another, on top of which she ties on the long, intricate metal bracelets, armbands, and necklaces that drape over her breasts. She ties her belt around her waist and then ties on her slippers. She towels her hair, squeezing the water from it before brushing it out and braiding back her bangs behind her head allowing the rest of her short hair to hang free. She puts on her crown, the main jewel, a sapphire, hanging down from it over her forehead, in between her eyebrows. She fastens on her earrings and slips on her rings. Metal and jewels are a large part of Merlyudan culture, having been their main export and claim to fame when they were still a part of the world trade system.

She steps out of her rooms, Javor and her other guard, Lesya, waiting for her. Lesya gives her a smile and Zora smiles back. Lesya is her youngest guard, only nineteen, but she's one of the strongest axe users Zora had ever seen. Lesya fastens her royal cape, made of metal scaling and decorated with amethysts to her shoulders.

"Thanks," Zora says, Lesya nods.

"Don't mention it."

Zora turns and walks forwards, towards her receiving chambers. "Are they here yet?"

"Yes, they're waiting in the chambers with Radana and Mirko. Prince Vincenc should be meeting you there," Jarvo explains. "I also went ahead and brought Councilman Kafka, since he's one of yours."

"Perfect," Zora says as they reach the doors which open, allowing her to walk to the dais. She sees the small throne waiting for her, and flanked by her guards she walks into the room, not looking at Sinbad and the others, nervous. She meets eyes with Radana across the room who turns and opens the door, allowing Cenek, who is also dressed in his official attire to enter the room. Zora sits on her throne, her cape trailing down to her feet beside her. She sits back and raises her eyes to look at Sinbad. He seems surprised, but not as surprised as he should be. In the back is Councilman Kafka who nods to her.

"Welcome, foreigner," she says, starting the official dialogue. "State your name and purpose."

Sinbad bends to one knee, bowing. "I am Sinbad, the merchant." He seems to have had some coaching from Borna. "I wish to make a deal with your nation to bring prosperity both to the island and to my company."

"I see," she says, sitting back. "While a deal will require further time to deliberate, I welcome you to my country. Is there anything else you require to ask of me?"

"Only your blessing and protection."

"Granted," she looks over to Councilman Kafka. "Councilman Kafka, please come forward."

He comes forward and bows. "Princess."

"As you are aware, there is a law in our country to keep foreigners away, however, as the heir to the throne and the child of my father, the late King Ctirad, I will officially pardon these people from any crime. Please take a record of their names and identifying features."

"Yes, Princess," he turns a page in his notebook and begins the record. There's silence, except for the answers of their names. After he's finished, Councilman Kafka bows and retreats to his place at the back of the room.

Zora takes a breath. "During your stay in Merlyuda, you will be living in this wing of the castle. You are not allowed to go to another wing where I am unable to protect you. Javor, the bands," Javor steps forward, bronze bracelets with the insignia of the royal heir on them. "These bands are your way of proving you are under my protection. If you come under question, display them."

Javor passes them off and fastens them with magic, welding the bands together. Zora continues. "As you can see, there is no way to wear these bands without the magic of my head guard to weld them on, therefore, these items have a validity that should serve you to get out of any trouble."

Javor comes to stand next to Zora. "In general, if you have any problems with other staff within the castle or persons, speak to Javor. His rooms will be across from yours, so you will have access to him almost at all times."

"Princess, if I may," Sinbad begins, "our ship was destroyed upon entering Merlyudan waters. Is there any way I could have repairs made?"

"I will have to address it with the council, however it shouldn't be a problem," Zora says. "Javor, if you will, please lead them to their rooms," as Javor walks past, Zora whispers out of the corner of her mouth, "wait with them outside."

He gives a slight, almost imperceptible nod and stands in front of Sinbad. "Come with me, sir."

The group trails after him, looking around with wide eyes at the ornamental displays of precious metals and jewels. Councilman Kafka approaches the dais when they leave, bowing before straightening up, his hands behind his back.

"What is it, Councilman?" Zora asks, resting her hands on the armrests and asserting an air of nonchalance through her body language. _Cool, calm, collected,_ she thinks, _as a queen should be. Thoughtful._

"You are aware that Queen Galina would never allow a trade agreement to be made with this merchant boy."

"As she is only the _regent_ and not a monarch, wouldn't that be in your jurisdiction until my coronation?"

"You have four years until you are of age to be coronated," Councilman Kafka starts, "are you planning on keeping this boy around for that long?"

"God, no," Zora says. "He has his own life and a business to return to. However, making connections like this is imperative to Merlyuda's future." Zora hates the formality of speaking with council members, but she has to assert her dominance and seem noble. Respectable. She has to win their favor if she wants to destroy what her stepmother has created. "I'm merely planning for my inevitable rule."

"You wish to open the country again?" Councilman Kafka asks. "While I am loyal to you due to your heritage, even if your birth was… less than agreeable," Zora keeps the snarl she can feel forming from her face. She keeps her expression neutral, despite the flare of anger, "Queen Galina's idea of keeping Merlyuda pure is favored among the nobility. Many of them," the _us_ is implied, "would rather not share our precious resources and be exploited by foreign powers."

"Councilman, please, take a look around this room," Zora says. "What's it made of? Gold. Silver. Bronze. Copper. Jewels. Those precious resources your talking about are in such an abundance we built an entire castle out of them and have more than enough to spare. Our surplus devalues all meaning they have for us, that's why are economy is in a state of hyperinflation because we have _too much_. We don't have other resources either. If we could trade with other nations, our people would have medicine so they wouldn't be plague-ridden. Our people would have jobs to stimulate the economy. We would be able to access foreign knowledge and strengthen ourselves. We can't do anything on our own."

"Yes, but the barrier keeps us protected from any foreign threats that we would need help protecting ourselves from. And the people -they should be manufacturing jobs on their own, sustaining themselves."

Zora lets out a small sigh. "If you don't care about the people, and only care about keeping my bloodline on the throne, then here's reasoning for you to support me. The idea of a pure country is inherently wrong when the royal heirs are mixed race. My mother was _not_ Merlyudan. How could a nation founded on the ideas of nationalism accept me as a ruler if we teach them that only Merlyudans should be allowed to live here? It would mean a coup -an end to the Ruzicka bloodline."

"What was your father thinking?" Councilman Kafka says to himself, but Zora can still hear it. Her mouth twitches downward.

"Well, it's not as if the Regent Galina," Zora purposefully says Regent instead of Queen to take away the power of her name and reduce her to her true rank in their society, "is able to have children. My mother being a magi is good strategic choice for my father. She gave him extremely powerful children. Look at my brother, only fourteen but he's already able to use five types of magic."

"And what gifts did your mother pass on to you?" Councilman Kafka asks, "If you don't mind me asking, Princess Zora."

Zora smirks. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve, Councilman. You'll understand when the time is right."

He bows. "Of course, Your Highness. I will look forward to see what you have in store for us."

"Have I addressed all of your concerns, Councilman?" Zora asks.

"I believe you have," he replies. "I give you my support in your acquaintance with the boy, and I will support you in your address to _Regent_ Galina and the rest of the council."

"Then you are dismissed, Councilman Kafka," Zora tells him. He bows again and leaves the chamber room. Lesya steps out and locks the door behind him. As soon as the pressure is off, Zora sinks into her throne, rubbing the tension from her forehead. Dealing with the politics of the court is frustrating and hard. Trying to figure out what to say, to shame without being direct. It's hard for her to jump through those hoops every time she speaks to another member of the nobility. She feels a hand massaging her shoulder and she looks up to see her brother give her a small smile of encouragement. She pats his hand and leans forward. Unclasping her cape from her shoulders, feeling the weight literally lift off. It's heavy a burden to bear.

The door where Javor had been waiting with the others opens and he walks through, everyone laughing. Javor walks with a swagger in his step.

"So, then I was like 'Radana, you can't just _eat_ the bear," he finishes with a loud guffaw. The others laugh as well, especially the children. Even the little red-head ( _Masrur?_ Zora guesses) lets out a small giggle at his charisma and charm.

"Are you telling them the story about the bear that chased you guys off a mountain?" Cenek asks with a smile on his face. There's a slight flush to his cheeks as he comes to sit next to Zora on the throne. She scoots over and the siblings cram themselves onto it. She sees him watching Ja'far. _He's excited,_ she thinks happily. Cenek was never able to meet children his age and befriend them. She wasn't either, and while she would like a friend, she also knows it has to take a backseat to saving her country.

Javor laughs. "You mean the time that I _saved_ some young'uns from a bear that _would have_ gone into the palace courtyard where one little prince and princess happened to be playing?"

Zora rolls her eyes. "And we're so grateful to you for that."

Javor bows over-exaggeratedly, "You're welcome, my princess."

She feels Sinbad's eyes on her and she looks over to see him staring at her with an unreadable expression. She furrows her brow.

"What?" she asks.

"You didn't tell me you were royalty. When you said you would kill your stepmother, you mean that you're going to kill the Queen and take over."

"Actually," Zora says, a little snippily because she doesn't like the phrase 'take over' since it sounds more tyrannical than she would like, "I'm going to wait for my coronation and then kill my stepmother. If I don't, she'll become a member of the council and will try to limit my power and steal it back for herself."

"Or she'll try to kill you," Borna says, coming to stand beside Zora. "A grieving mother is more sympathetic to a people. She'd use your death to gain support."

"Or she'll try to kill me," Cenek says. "Because she knows what that would do to Zora," he clenches a hand into a fist and grins in what he thinks is a scary fashion, but it really just looks slightly crazed due to his dimples and freckles. "But I'd like to see her _try_ to kill me."

"Then why do you need the djinn?" Sinbad asks.

Zora sighs. "It gives me protection and power. My mother was a magi, which is why Cenek's magic is so powerful despite his young age, but _I_ didn't inherit the ability to be a magician. Instead, I just have a lot of energy that's just kind of like," she gestures in a circle around her upper body, "in here. My mother always told me that I needed to conquer the dungeon on Stjerne. That she raised that dungeon _for_ me. To take power back from my stepmother and to lead my country confidently."

"A magi?" Sinbad says eyes widening. "Where is she now?"

Zora can feel her face shut down at the mention of her mother's fate. Sinbad seems to see that he made a misstep as his eyes flicker around the room. Zora doesn't want to know what other faces people are making.

"Our mother is dead," Zora says quietly. "That's all you need to know about it. Anyway, the djinn will not only help me gain loyalty from the council, but also will help me protect my country in case we are attacked when I reopen it to trade with the world."

"Why would you be attacked?" Ja'far asks.

Zora gestures to the room around her. "We literally have such an abundance of this shit that we made a castle out of it, our houses are made out of it. Our clothes are made out of it," she gestures to hers and Cenek's fineries. "With these resources, do you honestly expect empires like Reim or Kou or Parthevia to leave us alone? As soon as we allow merchants into our country, everyone will know about the state of our people, that we _don't_ have a standing military because everyone in our country is sick and dying. Do you expect them to _not_ take advantage of that? I have to be prepared."

Sinbad is silent for a second, before he nods. "I understand. You want to protect your country and the people around you."

Zora nods, feeling tired. "I'm not completely different from you, my dreams just had to start smaller. Maybe when I'm able to see past the borders of Merlyuda, I'll join you in your quest to save the world."

She stands and so does Cenek. Her guards stand slightly more at attention than they were. While she and her guards and retainers have a more laissez-faire relationship, they're still loyal to her and her title. Their jobs. "You guys should get some rest," she addresses to Sinbad's group, "You've all been through a lot today. Borna-."

Her ommer cuts her off. "I've already put medicine in their rooms where they can access it as they need." Cenek starts to shift from foot to foot next to her.

"Right, so Javor, if you could show them to their rooms?"

"Of course, Princess," he bows slightly and gestures them to follow him, but before they leave, Cenek jumps down the stairs of the dais.

"Ja'far!" he calls. The white-haired boy turns around, looking at him in confusion.

"What's wrong, Prince Cenek?"

Cenek flushes and wrings his hands in front of him, looking at his feet. "Um. H-How's your head?"

Ja'far touches the bandages slightly, still seeming confused by Cenek's behavior. "Uh, it hurts a little bit but it's mostly fine. I'm not dizzy or anything."

Cenek bites his lips as he smiles. "Good. I'm glad you're okay," his voice is so sincere it hurts Zora's heart. "Um, well. You should probably um, get some rest or something. For your head." His face is now _very_ red with embarrassment and shyness.

Ja'far tilts his head. "Is there something else you want to say?"

Cenek looks up at him and nods. Very quietly, he offers, "Would you like to come see my library?"

"Can I come tomorrow?" Ja'far asks. "I am very tired."

Cenek shakes his head up and down very quickly. "Uh! Yes! Of course, you should sleep and I should stop talking oh my god. See you tomorrow," he covers his blushing face and runs out of the room, Radana quickly opening the door so Cenek doesn't slam into it. She looks as shook as Zora feels.

"Is he okay?" Ja'far asks Zora. Zora shrugs.

"He's just very shy," she says. "Also, he's taken a liking to you."

Ja'far rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I'm flattered."

"Princess," Radana says. "I must return to Prince Vincenc's quarters to reassign the guards now that we have our new guests," she nods to them and at Zora's gesture of dismissal leaves the receiving chamber.

Javor follows up with. "We should all retire for the night. You need to rest with your injuries."

"I'll come with and check over your injuries," Borna says, joining Javor. "Kadhem, come with me." Kadhem pushes himself off of the wall and joins Borna, his thumbs hooked into his belt.

"Zora," Sinbad starts, pauses and reconsiders, "Princess Zora, thank you. For your hospitality."

Zora shrugs. "Just call me Zora. I'm not interested in the whole formality thing. And don't mention it, really. I'm happy to help you guys out. But you guys should rest. We'll figure out everything tomorrow."

Zora watches them as the follow Javor from the room and she sighs. Lesya, the last one left comes to stand beside her, swinging her double-headed battle axe absentmindedly in her left and.

"Whatcha thinking, Zora?" Lesya asks looking down at her. Zora look up at her guard.

"Just dreading meeting with Galina," Zora says. Lesya hums understandingly.

"Well, if you need me to, I can always chop her up into little pieces for you."

Zora chuckles. "I'll get back to you on that. If my djinn doesn't end up working out, you can have your way with her.

* * *

Yoyoyo making up for lost time with two updates in one week.

I hope u guys enjoyed this chapter

Next time: meeting galina also: djinn training

What do you guys think? Do you like it? Do you hate it? Did you have a great day at school?

Let me know your thoughts in a review!


	5. The First Vessel

Cenek flicks his hair out of his eyes as he stands outside of Ja'far's door, fidgeting with his clothing nervously. What if Ja'far is only going to hang out with him because he feels indebted? Or because of Cenek's social role? All Cenek wants is a friend and Ja'far is _cool_. He has knives tied around his _arms._ And he's smart, too. Cenek breathes out a shaky breath. _It's now or never_. He knocks on the door. There's rustling from the other side and then the door is opened and Ja'far is standing there, looking at him with surprise.

"Oh, Prince Vincenc," Ja'far says, Cenek tries not to deflate at the formal title because friends don't call friends _Prince Vincenc_. "I didn't expect you to come over so early." Now that he mentions it, Cenek realizes that Ja'far is wearing his sleep robes and his bandages look like they should be changed. He looks slightly embarrassed at being seen in such a state with his arms crossed over his chest and his fingers pulling at the long sleeves of the robe. Cenek feels blood rush to his head and he knows that his face is turning red.

"O-Oh," he stutters. He fidgets where he stands, his eyes averting from Ja'far. "I guess that's true. I'm so sorry I came over so early. I can always come back later. You probably need to rest anyway. I'm sorry. I was just so excited that you said you would spend time with me today that I wasn't even thinking about how you felt. That was super selfish of me. Gods, I'm such a mess…" He trails off when he realizes he's been rambling. He feels even more embarrassed and fights the overwhelming urge to hide his face in his hands and run away. Like he'd done last night. Which was embarrassing.

Ja'far is quiet for a second and Cenek feels as if he's going to combust under the other boy's gaze. "Well, I appreciate your excitement. I'm not really sure what I did to make you want to be around me…"

Cenek's head snaps up at those words, disbelief coating his features. "Are you _kidding me_?! You are literally _so cool!_ You're like the coolest person ever and I just really want to get to know you! Like! Everything about you screams cool! Your hair and-and your face and your stance and you seem so collected and so in control and I really… you know," he starts losing steam, embarrassed even more. "I really admire that because like, I'm _not_."

"That's not true," Ja'far says, frowning. "You may be more anxious and a little over zealous at times, but I think it's really cool how you can do magic. The way you were able to make it through Kalakang's challenge in the dungeon was amazing _and_ the fact that you immediately rushed out to challenge all of us to help your sister. I found that kind of courage appealing as well," Ja'far gives him a soft smile. "Give me some time to get dressed and change these," he gestures to the bandages wrapped around his headwound, "and we can go do something together."

Cenek smiles brightly at him. "Okay! If you want, I can help you change those, or check to see if I can heal it anymore...?"

Ja'far seems to think about it for a moment. "If you wouldn't mind looking at it, I have no reason to say no." He opens the door wider and lets Cenek in. The guest room is small, but nice, with a private bath in the corner, a closet, and a bookshelf. It's decorated in the usual glittering metals and jewels that made Merlyuda famous in the first place. Cenek was too young when Galina started changing the way the country was run to remember the nation in any kind of prestige. To him, it'd always been isolated and a cesspool of disease and poverty. It was amazing how quickly it had fallen into disarray. He guesses that's what happens when an entire economy that's based on exporting metals and jewels goes into isolation and loses contact with the outside world. Ja'far opens up a small box that's on his desk that's filled with clean bandages and some ointments.

"Borna gave me these," he explains. Cenek nods, not surprised. His ommer is an amazing healer, which also made them an amazing combatant. They know all the weak points of the human body and can take advantage of them in battle. Ways to stop magic flow, even. Ja'far starts to unravel the bandages and reveals that he had washed his hair the night before. There's blood on it, but it doesn't look too old. Cenek places his hand on the side of the boy's head and breathes out, feeling the magic come to life under his palm. He sends energy into Ja'far's body, feeling the wound. He can feel the softness of a bruise within Ja'far's head and he soothes it with his magic, the coolness cascading from his fingers and into the wound, coating it. The softness begins to recede until it feels normal again. He brings the magic out again, swirling it on the scrapes on Ja'far's skin and the bruising on his bone. Ja'far lets out a little humming noise, sounding content at the comforting feeling of the magic.

Cenek pulls away. He knows things can go wrong if you over heal someone, can actually exacerbate the original problem, so he doesn't try to do too much. He's not as adept at healing magic as he feels like he should be, with his experience. Then again, his magic teacher has always told him that healing illness is _far_ different from healing wounds. Cenek just had to learn the more intricate magic first. Ja'far's eyes are still closed and his face still relaxed when Cenek pulls his hand away. Cenek takes the opportunity to begin dressing Ja'far's flesh wound, placing the ointment on it and then wrapping it up in a bandage. It's still bleeding a bit, yet to scab over completely. Headwounds bleed the most, after all.

Ja'far opens his eyes and watches Cenek as he starts to fasten the bandages. Cenek glances into Ja'far's eyes and feels himself start to flush. It's quiet between them and peaceful and Cenek is fourteen and _awkward_. Why is he so awkward? _Huuhhhhhh_ , he groans in his mind because like _hell_ is he going to make that noise out loud but also, he can't really help himself.

Cenek finishes fastening the bandages and backs up, his hand falling down to Ja'far's shoulder. He pats it a few times, smiling brightly and large enough to hurt his cheeks, hoping he doesn't look as awkward as he feels about the situation.

Ja'far returns his smile, though his is much more diminutive. From this distance, Cenek realizes that he's slightly taller than Ja'far. "Thank you, Prince Vincenc," he says. "I appreciate it. My head feels better already."

Cenek flushes. "Please, just call me Cenek. I'd prefer that," he could just leave it at that, but this is Cenek we're talking about, so of course: here is foot, insert into _mouth_. "O-Of course you don't have to, that's not an order or something because ordering people around isn't friendship and I want to be your friend. Please don't do what I tell you."

Ja'far looks at him for a second before something seems to just _click_ in his mind and he raises a fist in front of his mouth, chuckling lightly. His eyes are smiling when he looks at Cenek. "Sure, Cenek. And I realize you aren't ordering me around. You've made it pretty clear that you just want to be friends with me."

"Yeah, 'cause I do," Cenek repeats, his eyes wide. "I just _really_ want to be your friend."

"I know," Ja'far shakes his head. "I'm going to get changed now, and then we can do something."

"Okay," Cenek says nodding furiously. _A friend!_ He and Ja'far stare at each other for a few seconds, Cenek wondering what's wrong while Ja'far looks at him imploringly. "What?" he asks. Ja'far holds up his clothes and shakes them at him. Cenek's face contorts into perplexity before he realizes.

"Oh! Oh gods! My bad! I'll! Look away!" He spins around, his hands coming up to his face. _Why! Am! I! Like! This!_ he screeches internally. Ja'far can't contain his laughter and Cenek is _shocked_ at how beautiful and happy it sounds. It's like a stream cascading down some rocks and looking really chill, pretty and glistening. Cenek need to come up with better adjectives than _cool_. He's smart, he swears -just really awkward and socially inept.

There's the sound of rustling clothes before Ja'far walks over to where Cenek has shoved his face into a corner. He taps on Cenek's shoulder and the prince spins around, his face still red. Due to his clothes mostly being destroyed by the shipwreck, he'd been given new ones to wear that were more to the style of Merlyuda. He wears shorts embroidered with flowers and a flowing, light shirt. Merlyudan fashion is full of flowing fabrics and embroidered decorations.

"Ready?" Ja'far asks. Cenek sighs.

"Yeah, if I don't stick my foot in my mouth again," he sighs, his shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry I'm so bad at this."

"It's fine," Ja'far says. "I was _far_ worse than you when I first met Sinbad. I'm surprised he even tried to take me in in the first place. I was a mess."

"Well, I'm _still_ a mess," Cenek says, shaking his head. "I'm like, perpetually a mess. The only time I'm not a mess is when I'm doing magic. Or helping Zora."

"What do you help her with?" Ja'far asks. Cenek shrugs.

"Whatever, really. I mean," he tilts his head. "Because I'm the only one of us that inherited magic from our mom, I'm going to be the official court magician when she becomes queen. For now, I help her with helping the people and using her djinn. Like fighting and stuff. Also, we study laws together and are already trying to start drafting amendments to everything Galina's messed up since she became the regent. So... there's not really a lot for the two of us to do that's overt, just some subversive things," Cenek smiles. "Sorry, I rambled a bit. Want to go get something to eat?"

"Sure, if that's what you normally do," Ja'far says. The two boys start walking down the hallway, Cenek leading the way to the kitchens. "What exactly are you guys trying to subvert?"

"Well, Galina's a really bad person," Cenek says. "She's greedy and just wanted to take power for her family from ours. That's why she married our father, at least, that's what we think. That's also why she wanted our mother and us dead. So, she could have it all for herself. Anyway, she's trying to destabilize the government by making the people so desperate for change that they never want anyone from our father's family to lead them again. But, now the people are too sick and weak to fight back."

"That's awful. So, her family would be the next in line if you and your sister die?"

Cenek nods. "Our father was an only child and she's his oldest cousin. The throne would go to her completely, instead of just being the regent until Zora's coronation."

"It seems like a good idea to have killed you two prior to this," Ja'far pauses, then explains, "'this' being your ability to think for yourselves and plot against her."

"It wouldn't have been productive. She murdered our mother, everyone knows that but they just brushed it off as her being jealous of a mistress," Cenek explains. "But she also murdered our father by causing him to become senile, probably by poison. She was suspected, but nothing could be proved. If she had killed us, too, the council could have had reason to take her right to the throne away. That's the only reason why we're still alive."

"But she could still kill you at any time," Ja'far says. Cenek bites his lip but nods.

"If she killed either of us, it would probably be me," he says. "Because Zora's the direct heir and I'm just the extra. The spare, if you will. I'm not as important, but I still stand in her way."

"Is that how you see yourself?" Ja'far asks. Cenek doesn't understand what he means. He furrows his eyebrows at Ja'far.

"It's true?" Cenek says, perplexed. Ja'far looks like he wants to say something, but he decides not to. There's a silence between the boys that seems a bit awkward as the arrive in the kitchens. Radana is already there, preparing a bowl of fruit and bread. Cenek loves Radana even if the older woman is serious all the time. He knows it's because she cares about them, though Zora has her doubts about the extent of Radana's loyalty.

"So, what do you want to do after this?" Ja'far asks him as the two boys sit down. Cenek goes to take an apple from the pile, but before he bites into it, Ja'far stills his hand. "Hey, shouldn't you check before you eat that? To make sure it's not poisoned?"

"Why would I need to do that?"

"You literally just said that you could be killed by your stepmother," Ja'far says. He takes the apple from Cenek's hand with a quick and succinct _give me that_ and starts to inspect it. He sniffs at the apple and then takes a knife, cutting it open. Cenek watches him, unsure what to make of the display. Ja'far neatly cuts a piece from it and then sticks it in his mouth, sucking on it and then chewing it up and swallowing. He scrunches his nose.

"Is it safe?" Cenek asks, a little smile on his lips. Ja'far hands over the split apple. "I mean, I'm assuming it is because you're still alive."

"It's safe," Ja'far confirms. "Though don't base your safety off of mine. I'm immune to most poisons, though I do know their subtle tastes and smells."

"Why?" he asks.

Ja'far looks a little awkward, averting his eyes. It's the first time Cenek has seen Ja'far hesitate out of anything that could be related to Cenek's own social ineptitude. "My childhood was a little troublesome. I had to learn many things children shouldn't know. Do things that children shouldn't do."

"That's vague, but okay," Cenek responds. He wants to know what Ja'far is talking about, but this is the first time the two of them are hanging out outside of a dungeon where they were technically enemies. Closeness and secret sharing would come later, when they get to know one another better. "After this, would you like to see the libraries?"

Ja'far lights up. "I'd love that."

* * *

"Eat the bread."

"No, I won't do it."

" _Eat it_!"

" _No!_ " Zora turns her head away from the bread in Borna's hand. Kadhem is trying not to lose it in the background, the bastard. Borna frowns deeply at her.

"If you don't eat this, you'll never be able to utilize your aspects completely. Don't you know that eating is a part doing magic? How can you have enough energy to summon a djinn if you can't even eat a piece of bread!"

Zora frowns back at her. Borna raises their eyebrows. Zora groans and yanks the bread from their hand. "Fine. I'll eat it. But I'm _not_ hungry." She eats on the bread, not wanting to eat. It's not as if she hates eating, it's that she doesn't feel like she deserves it. This food would be so much better in the hands of the less fortunate. If they have to go hungry, she _should_ go hungry. The only way she can eat is through the suffering of others.

The door to the kitchen opens and Sinbad and his friend, Mystras, walk in chatting. He stops when he sees the three of them. Zora's sure they make quite a picture, with her sullenly eating a chunk of bread while Borna scowls at her, hands on their hips, and Kadhem leaning against a counter, a half-eaten apple in hand, face red from laughing at her.

"Whaddya wamf?" Zora asks, food in her mouth. She swallows the bread.

"I was hoping for some food," he says. "I wasn't expecting to see you guys in here."

"Well, this is where we eat," Zora says.

"Ah. Gotcha," he says. He looks slightly awkward. Mystras nudges him. He clears his throat. "I'm sorry for treating you like a commoner. I wasn't aware of your birthright."

Zora shakes her head. "Don't apologize. I'd rather be treated like a normal person than a princess. Besides, not knowing my birthright allowed me to see how you treat the common people and judge your character."

Sinbad raises an eyebrow. "Oh? And what conclusion about my character did you come to?"

"I think you're a good person. You're interesting and helpful. I think you care about your friends and are loyal to them. I respect you," she says honestly. Honesty is something that she craves and wishes she could receive and give more of. She wants someone to be honest with. She wonders if Sinbad can be that person, or if he'll let propriety come in between any blossoming of friendship.

He bows his head. "Thank you, my lady. I appreciate your kind words."

Zora rolls her eyes. "Please drop the formalities. I met you as 'Zofia,'" Borna shoots her a look, no doubt due to the mention of her mother's name. "I'd prefer you to treat me that way, even if you know me as Zora now."

Sinbad purses his lips but he nods, looking serious. "I understand." He comes to sit down at the seat next to where she's perched on the table. Mystras follows. Zora smiles at him.

"I'm not sure if we were ever properly acquainted," she says. "I'm Zora. It's nice to meet you."

He smiles shyly at her. "I'm Mystras. I'm from Sassan," he says. "I'm not sure if you've heard of it. We're also pretty isolated."

She nods. "I've read some about it." She fingers the necklace around her neck, the key her mother gave her to hide residing on the chain. "My mother left us some books about the outside world. Is it true that Sassan is filled with only warriors?"

Mystras laughs and rubs the back of his head. "I guess you could say that. Though, only men are allowed to fight."

The door slams open and Lesya stumbles in, her ringlets in disarray. "What's this I hear about women being barred from battle?"

The two boys look taken aback by her sudden appearance, but Zora and her retainers are unsurprised. Lesya likes to eavesdrop and make dramatic entrances. It's part of what makes her, her. Zora always knows that she has her ears to the ground for juicy gossip, much of which can aid Zora in taking down Galina.

"U-Uhm," Mystras stutters. She rounds on him, pointing at him aggressively.

"So, it's _you_ who doesn't believe that women can fight."

"I never sai-!"

She shushes him. "No more words, only combat! I challenge you to a duel of honor. The one who loses has to polish the other's armor! All of it!"

"I don't want to fight you!" Mystras says, leaning away from her as Lesya gets continuously closer to his face. She narrows her eyes.

"Why? Is it because you think I won't be a challenge? Is it because you're too _cowardly_ to fight a woman?"

"No! I just! Don't want to fight you!" Mystras says. "There's been a miscommunication…"

"Princess!" Lesya turns to Zora who's chewing on another slice of bread. "I will fight for your honor as a warrior and leader."

"Lesya, you don't have to do that," Zora says, deciding it's time to try and placate the situation. Lesya shakes her head.

"But I will. No one will speak to my future queen like that," Lesya says. Zora sighs. Once Lesya gets an idea in her head she doesn't ever let it go. "Will you officiate the match?"

"If you really want to fight him that badly, then go ahead. Be my guest. Just don't kill him."

Lesya scoffs. "I won't kill him. If he dies, he won't learn anything _and_ I'd not only have to clean up the mess but then there won't be anyone to clean _my_ armor and I'll have to manipulate Mirko into doing it again."

"Poor Mirko," Kadhem chuckles from the side. He steps forward. "If this battle's going to happen, we might as well go ahead and take it to the training room."

Borna sighs. They turn to Sinbad. "Please, take something to eat," they look at Mystras. "You as well. You'll need it."

Mystras looks vaguely like he wants to cry as Lesya stomps out of the room, her metal armor clanking as she runs to get her favorite axe, which Zora remembers she'd lovingly named Slicey-Dicey. Sinbad looks taken aback by the situation.

"Mystras, you don't have to fight her," he says. Mystras shakes his head.

"That would be even more rude than what she thinks I said in the first place," Mystras sighs. "Though she doesn't know what she's getting into."

"What do you mean by that?" Zora asks, interested in what tricks a knight from Sassan would have up his sleeve. Er, armored arm.

"I have a household vessel," he says gesturing to the large lance next to him. In response to whatever face Zora was making, he continues, "it means I get powered up by one of Sinbad's djinn."

Zora's face drops. "Shit," she says. Lesya does _not_ know what she's getting into. Even if axes are best for fighting spears and lances due to their versatility in close range and long-distance combat, she'd never fought against a _magic spear_ before. She looks at Sinbad, feeling shook. "How do I make her one?"

"Make her a household vessel?" he asks. Zora nods.

"Honestly, I have no idea," he says. "People around me just started turning into them. I think it has to do with both loyalty to a dungeon conqueror and the conqueror's connection to the djinn."

"Wow, she's screwed," Zora says. "Not on the loyalty part," she clarifies, "I'm just _shit_ at using the djinn."

Sinbad raises his eyebrows at her. "Really?"

Zora nods. "I can only convince Khusak to fuse with me. The others won't. I don't know why. It's like I have to conqueror all of them again before I can even _think_ about releasing the true form of Orias."

Sinbad hums, thinking. "If you want, I can help you figure out how to use your djinn while I'm here."

Zora gasps and grabs his hands, leaning close, excitement flooding her body at the thought that he'd actually _help_ her. "Seriously!?"

"Uh, yeah," he says, leaning away from her. "If you want."

"I do want. I need help so bad," she draws away from him, embarrassed by her display of emotion but also knowing that she needs all the help she can get. No matter what pointers he gives her, it'll be way better than where she's at now.

He laughs. "Alright, then I'll help you. You know, the only other time I ever offered help to a princess, I was yelled at for even suggesting it."

"You know another princess?" Zora asks. He nods.

"Her name is Serendine. She is, er, was the princess of my home country. She beat me in the dungeon I was in before Orias'," a dark look passes over his face at the mention of the dungeon. Mystras looks at him, a little wary. Zora wonders what happened in it, to make him look like that. "Anyway, it's nice to see that my help is needed. I don't know what else I can do for your country."

Zora hums. "Honestly, I do kind of have a plan that involves you."

"What is it?"

"When I go and argue for your ships to be repaired, I'm also going to argue that this is the perfect chance to open our borders. In the past, merchants were sponsored by members of the royal family to carry our precious materials."

"You want to sponsor me," he says, immediately understanding. Zora nods.

"Galina never got rid of that law since she just like, closed the whole country. So, it's still part of legislation. If I sponsor you, that would allow you to come in and out as you please to trade. Even just a little trade will begin to stimulate the economy, and the council will realize that they need to back _my_ policies, not hers. I'll get more support from them for my coronation and Galina will start to lose her hold on their wallets."

"It's a good idea," Sinbad says. Zora smiles at him.

"Thanks," she turns to Mystras. "So, you going to go get ready for your duel with Lesya."

The Sassanian sighs. "Yeah." He stands, looking dejected and leaves the room. "Uh, actually, where is it?"

"I'll show you," Kadhem says. "I should make sure it's clean and ready anyway. Come on, kiddo."

"We can go, too," Zora says. "I should be there to watch Lesya."

"And I should be there to cheer on Mystras," Sinbad responds. The two dungeon conquerors stand up and Zora starts to lead the way to the room, Borna following behind but keeping their distance. Borna's a good retainer, in that regard. The training area is close to the kitchen and the group is soon there. Kadhem is in the corner with Sharrkan, Masrur, and Hinahoho, gesturing as if he's explaining the situation. Lesya is on one side of the battle ring, in a deep, lunging stretch. She looks up and beams at Zora as she walks in. Mystras is on the other side, across from her, stretching his arms. His face is serious, most likely at the prospect of battle. There's a seriousness to the lines of Zora's guard's face, however there's also the usual joviality that Lesya feels before a battle. She likes causing mayhem. Experiencing chaos. Fighting. The fray. It comes in handy as a warrior, but Zora remembers when she first became her guard, how she was a little too ready to bring her axe down on an enemy. Now, Lesya's much more levelheaded and even-tempered.

Zora watches as Lesya bounces up and down on her toes. She holds Slicey-Dicey in her hands, a double grip, and swings it through the air a few times. Light glints off of the blade. Mystras takes up his lance and strides forward towards the center of the circle.

Lesya wiggles her eyebrows. "Ready when you are."

Mystras makes the first move, lunging forward. Lesya, nimble and quick, dodges under the blow and counters with a strong slash from her axe. Mystras dodges out of the way. The two move quickly, experienced and professional. Zora watches, but many of their moves are too quick for her eyes to follow.

"They're evenly matched," Sinbad comments from beside her.

Zora nods. "Your guy's really good."

"So is Lesya," he responds. "Though if Mystras used his metal vessel, the battle would be as good as over."

Zora takes no offense to the statement. She has no doubt in the strength of a metal vessel. She knows how strong Khusak is, and that's just one aspect. "When they're done will you work with me on my djinn?"

"Of course," he says. He sends her a smile which she returns. "What have you done with it so far?"

"Meditation, mostly," Zora says. "Borna's got this idea in their head that meditation will help me connect to the spirit of Orias. It really hasn't been working. The only aspect I've been able to manifest is Khusak and I feel like they're a freebie since I'm their Star-Child."

He shifts his stance, crossing his arms. "I personally haven't had any problems using my djinn before. It comes pretty naturally to me. I find myself trusting the djinn to give me their power and myself to wield it. Not to make the conversation to personal, but do you have problems trusting? That could be it."

 _Way to hit the nail on the head to every single one of my problems_ , Zora thinks to herself, slightly uncomfortable about how she was just peeped. It's one thing to know and deny her trust issues, it's another to have it bared to the world by someone who's talked to her like four times (only three of which were of their own volition and friendly) including their current conversation. Zora doesn't know if she's just way more transparent or if Sinbad's _seriously_ good at reading people.

"I mean," she shakes her head. "That sounds pretty accurate. I guess I just have too much fear of the future to use my djinn right. When I try to activate it, all I can see in my head is _her_ and I can't stand it. I just get so mad."

She closes her eyes and sees the face of Galina in her mind's eye. Galina is blank-faced, no emotion giving her away. Holding a knife, covered in blood. Zora knows it's her mother's.

"What are you so mad about?" he asks.

"Look what she's done to my country!" Zora exclaims. "I can't stand people who are so greedy."

"But is that it? You want to kill her _just_ because she's a bad leader? There are other ways to take power than murder," he pauses, looks slightly pained, but continues, "you have the bloodline to rule. To garner respect from the people."

"She's from a noble family as well. Her family is second in line for the throne," Zora says. She evades the first question completely. _Why am I so mad?_ The way he phrases it, it's almost as if he finds it hard to believe her reasoning is worthy of the anger she feels. _What do I hate about her? Is she just a bad leader?_ "She's not just a bad leader, she's a bad person."

"But does she deserve death? What's driving you? I wanted to ask in the dungeon, but there wasn't ever a time for me to," he says.

 _Why?_

 _Why?_

 _My drive?_

She sees Galina in her mind. She sees the knife.

 _She killed my mother._

There's a certain resolve of emotion that comes with the understanding of reasoning and the destruction of denial. Zora _knows_ why she wants to kill Galina. Her vengeance is simple. Galina took her mother from her, her father, any chance at a happy family due to her own greed. Zora wants to repay her. Zora wants to take away what she cares about the most -her life. It wouldn't do to just destroy her financially, ruin her reputation -she could always crawl back into power by the skin of her teeth.

Sinbad must see something in her eyes. A steel. "You know what it is, now."

Zora's lips tighten into a line. "I do. While I want to save my country, my reason for killing Galina is more personal than that. I shouldn't correspond saving my country with destroying her."

She feels a tug at her psyche and feels energy in her belt. _Is that all you wanted? For me to stop thinking of you as only a means to kill Galina?_ She guesses her djinn was offended.

There's a loud shout from the ring and the two turn abruptly to look. Lesya cackles, blood coming from the blade of her axe, dripping onto her hands. Mystras holds his arm, where Lesya had gotten in a lucky hit. It's his lance arm.

"What're you gonna do now, cutie?" Lesya says with a wink. She surveys the blood on her hands. "Hehe, it matches the color of your hair."

Mystras heaves a breath, seeming to count his options. "I guess I won't hold back anymore."

Lesya's eyes widen with interest. "Holding back? Well, go ahead! Show me what you've got." She takes a defensive stance.

"Whoa, is he gonna…?" Zora trails off, looking up at Sinbad. Sinbad nods.

"Probably. I hope she can dodge."

Zora winces. "I mean she _can_ , the question is _will_ she."

" _Bararaq Harba_!"

It happens quickly, but Zora sees it in slow-motion. A gathering and release of power. Lesya dodges under. She brings the head of her axe up. At the blow to his hands, Mystras fumbles the blade. The bolt of lightning is misdirected towards the children. Borna throws themselves in front of the blast. Their arms forming a cross across their chest. Power is drawn from Zora. A line cracks the floor in front of Borna and the lightning is absorbed into it, disappearing.

It's so silent, Zora can hear the far-off whistle of a bird outside the open windows. Borna lowers their arms, staring at the glowing, crackling gauntlets around their wrists. The glow dissipates with a flicker of electricity. Borna stumbles, face grey. Kadhem acts first out of the group, rushing forward to catch them before they hit the ground. Kadhem mouths the words that echo through the air after the manifestation of power. _Wiqaayah fil-aa'rd._

"That was…" Zora says, not believing her eyes. Is this how it happened? So quickly?

"A household vessel," Sinbad finishes her statement.

* * *

Yoikes guess who forgot to do some etymologies for u guys: this chick

Lesya: a diminuitive for Oleksandra which is the Ukranian variant of the feminine form of Alexander meaning: "defender of men"

Javor: it's a southern Slavic word meaning 'maple tree' due to his brown hair -like the color of syrup

 _Wiqaayah Al-aa'rd_ literally just means 'shield in the earth.' This vessel creates a barrier surrounding Borna and whatever they're protecting within the earth that neutralizes attacks, especially ones that are electric (due to conductivity or a lack thereof). So the shield absorbed the lightning from Mystras' attack

Basically, the way I'm approaching this is that all of zora's household has the ability to summon whatever aspect fits them best to their core even if zora can't use the aspect bc they're still part of the djinn.

I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed this chapter! I won't update again until I get at least like two reviews.


	6. Trust

This chapter is really freaking long! I considered separating it into two chapters but then I decided nah.

I've had this done since the last week of November, but I waited to get more than one review on the previous chapter to finish editing and post so *shrug emoji*

SHOUT OUT TO **TWISTEDLITTLEDOLL** AND **CUPCAKESANDBLOO** FOR BEING THE REALEST

Also thank you to everyone who has reviewed in the past and all of you who've followed and/or favorited :)

* * *

It's been a week and a half since Sinbad had come to the island and agreed to help Zora with her djinn and she could only summon Khusak and Varak. Varak had spoken to her when she'd realized that her desire to protect her people was pure and separate from her stepmother. She wonders what other realizations she'd need to come to in order to use the rest of the aspects and the full form of Orias.

"Summon Varak and we'll test him out," Sinbad says, equipped in Baal. His lizard tail swishes out behind him. Zora vaguely wonders what it would feel like to touch it. Would it be fleshy or scaley? She wipes sweat from her brow. Working on controlling Khusak's whip was always tiring. She'd only ever studied archery before, not any other type of weapon. And who would think to use a whip as a weapon in war? She shakes her head, stepping back.

" _I entreat you, oh aspect of loyalty and passion: come forth, Varak,_ " she says and feels the power of the ram flow through her body. Weight appears on her head as horns curl around her face from the sides of her head. Her hair becomes long and curly and white and her clothes form into armored gauntlets with go across her wrists and curl around and in between her fingers with rubies studding across her knuckles. The rest of the armor includes greaves, a brigandine over her torso and faulds over her hips, . Her head is encased with armor as well, her hair spilling out from underneath it. Varak's abilities are similar to Khusak's in that it releases a pulse of vibrations. The biggest difference is that Varak's sets a flame and creates heat, while Khusak's pushes away.

Sinbad holds his sword out towards her. "You ready?"

She nods, assuming a fighting stance, her fists in front of her face and her body correctly angled, balancing her weight on the balls of her feet. She'd been learning hand to hand combat from Borna since discovering that Varak's form gives her no weapon to be held. Sinbad comes at her first with a strong swing. Zora dodges to the side and delivers a punch. Sinbad spins out of the way. A rush of flames fans out around her fist. Sinbad comes at her again with a counterstrike that she blocks with her gauntlet, a shock rushes up her arm through the meta. She uses the momentum to strike his side. He winces away from the searing heat before striking again, hitting her with the blunt side of the blade. She takes the hit, rolling with the strike before getting out of range, panting and sweating. Varak's equip always makes her too hot. While she's not burned by the fiery attacks, it still gets _too hot_. Her hands are already black with the soot of the flames and smoke.

She and Sinbad circle each other. She has to get inside his range. Varak's a close-range fighter. His flames don't shoot out far, only exciting the air directly around whichever limb she strikes with. Baal is definitely a long-range vessel. The problem is that despite the range of his weapon, Sinbad is a formidable and lethal fighter.

 _Well,_ she thinks, _might as well get this over with_.

She rushes him and he strikes, but she dodges, falling to the ground and using her leg to sweep his feet out from under him. He falls to the ground and she immediately clamors on top of him, pinning him to the ground, her fist poised above his head, the air around her shimmering with heat. Sinbad eyes her fist, sweat forming on his brow and chest. He looks her in the eye. The air around them is hot and she can feel the sweat on her body dripping down her chest and face.

"Do you yield?" she asks, before being slapped to the floor by his tail as it strikes her from behind. Sinbad rolls over her, sitting on her hips his tail heavy on her arm, keeping it down. He takes his sword and holds it to her throat. She pants, staring up at him. He winces as the heat around them increases at the proximity.

"Do _you_ yield?" he asks, panting. Steam rises off of her where his sweat falls onto her armor. She bucks her hips to try to unseat him, but he locks his thighs around her, staying on top. He puts the tip of his sword under her chin and raises his eyebrows. "Yield, Zora."

"Never," she says, raising an arm and firing off a blast of heat that has him rolling off of her. She leaps for him as he starts to stand, dragging him back to the ground. She clamors onto his back, wrapping one leg around his tail, the other digging into his spine. She holds one of his arms to the ground, the one that holds his sword, and keeps the other hot against his neck. "I win."

"Nope," he says and suddenly the tail is gone, replaced by something fluffy and _cold cold cold cold_. The heat coming from her quickly seeps from her skin, quicker than Varak can replenish it. Sinbad rolls them over and pins her to the ground. His djinn is wolfish and his smile is smug. Varak is nothing when he's cooled down. "Yield?"

Zora grabs at his throat but the metal rings around her fingers are only warm, not burning anymore. Black smears of soot are left on his skin in the imprint of her fingers as her arm falls down limp beside her. " _Yield_." She says, her voice resigned. She feels bitter.

He sits back from her and dismisses his djinn. She does as well, shivering as Varak's heat disappears and all that's left is the cold air that had surrounded Sinbad.

"That was better," Sinbad says. "You're good at wrestling, but your hand-to-hand could use some polishing."

"My brother and I used to playfight as children," she explains. "What djinn was that?"

"Valefor," he responds. "He uses ice magic."

"How were you able to switch between them so fast?" Zora asks. She'd be too afraid of being left defenseless to try to switch between aspects in a battle, but Sinbad had done it without pause.

He shrugs. "I trust my djinn and myself to equip quickly. Once you get the hang of it, equipping djinn is really easy."

She scrunches her nose. It just seems too risky to her. But on the other hand, Khusak's whip could have come in handy when being pinned down, blasting him away with a snap of their whip. He laughs at her expression.

"Doesn't seem like you're satisfied by my answer," he says with a chuckle. "But that's all it is, at least that I'm aware of. I trust my djinn. I trust my own abilities."

"Can't relate," Zora says with a sigh.

Sinbad laughs at her, but she doesn't feel offended. Maybe it does sound stupid to him. Maybe doing things like this, trusting someone else, confidence without fear of failure, is natural to him. "I hope one day you will."

She shakes her head. "Maybe one day," though she doesn't truly believe it. The two djinn users sit there for a few seconds, catching their breath and cooling down from their battle.

"Do you want to practice more? We can work on trying to call the other aspects," Sinbad suggests.

"Sure," Zora agrees, they take a few more seconds to themselves before the doors to the training area open and Javor comes in, a serious look on his face. Zora stands up, feeling it necessary after looking at his face. "What's going on?"

Javor's normally jovial expression is drawn. "You've been summoned by the Regent to attend to the court and explain yourself. The servant didn't say what you needed to explain, though I assume it's about…" he eyes Sinbad.

Zora sighs, running a hand through her hair and then grimacing at the feeling of grit and sweat. "Yeah, I know. I'm going to clean myself up and then go."

"They want you now," Javor says.

"Well, I'm not going there now," Zora responds. "I'll let _her_ sweat a bit."

Javor looks like he wants to argue but he forgoes it and bows his head in acquiescence. Zora turns to Sinbad.

"I'll be back," she says. He nods at her, crossing his arms, looking perturbed that he can't do anything about the situation himself. Over the past week, the two of them had spent a lot of time together discussing what they both want. She thought they'd have more time to finalize plans before Galina summoned her. Well, whatever. Zora will improvise. She walks out of the training area and to her rooms, heading to the baths, cleaning off quickly, and then dressing in formal wear. She wears a wreath and hooks a veil on it. Galina doesn't allow her to show her face.

She walks from her room, smoothing her skirts and apron, her hands running over the embroidered floral patterns before she moves towards the bridge that connects her and her brother's quarters to the main part of the castle. She enters on the other side and keeps walking through the weaving and ornate hallways until she comes to the doors of the Council Room. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for what will come, and then proceeds to open them, stepping inside.

Galina is sitting at the head of the semicircle of councilmembers. Her expression is unwavering as Zora approaches them.

"Princess Zora," Galina greets her, her voice cool and collected. "I'm sure you know why you've been summoned before us."

"I have an idea," Zora responds.

"Councilman Kafka tells me that you have visitors," Galina sits back in her throne, nonchalant, her hands resting on the armrests. Her salt and pepper hair flows long behind her instead of being tied up in the typical _ochipok_ and _peremitka_. The _kokoshnik_ sits atop her head adorned in emeralds and sapphires and rubies. Zora holds her shoulders back and down, trying to seem relaxed and not like she's completely wound up from being in the woman's presence.

"That is true," Zora responds, her voice clear and distinct. "Some of my men were patrolling the coast when they found the foreigners shipwrecked on the shore."

"And you didn't come to me first?" Galina asks, her mouth pulled down at the corners. _Don't make a scene, unless it's in your favor_ , she thinks. She sees the councilmembers out of her periphery. _She's trying to make you look bad._

"I'm sorry, Lady Regent," she starts, "but it says nowhere in the laws that I must let you know. As my father's heir and the future queen of this country, I have the liberty of taking whomever I want into my custody -as long as it's approved by a member of the High Council. I've done my duty, having already preformed the ceremony attended by Councilman Kafka. The foreigners are under my protection." _I won't let you convince them that I should be punished. I've broken no laws._

Galina's face continues to look impassive, though Zora knows that she's angry. There's a rise in tension around her jawline. Zora feels a thrill at causing any reaction within her stepmother at all. "I see. It's true that those are our laws, however, as your stepmother, I would like to approve of these foreigners myself. To make sure the bloodline of Ctirad remains safe until your ascension," she casts a long glance and a calculated smile to the councilmembers seated around the chamber.

"I appreciate your care, Lady Regent," Zora says, curtseying to her. If Galina's going to act kind, Zora will as well. It's a game they play to buy the favor the council. "However, it's unnecessary. These foreigners are young and trustworthy. They got lost and ended up in our seas. We've been treating their injuries."

"Don't be too trusting, Princess Zora," Galina warns, making Zora think _yeah don't be too trusting of_ _ **you**_ , before she continues with a hum. "I would still like to meet them."

Zora breathes out from her nose. _Give and take. Don't make a scene -the councilmembers are probably curious, too_. "Of course, Lady Regent."

"Lady Regent, Princess, if I may," Councilman Novak stands up from where he's seated. "There is an event happening at the end of the week, a soirée for the nobles of the country. Why doesn't the Princess present them at this event?"

Galina smiles widely at the councilman. "That's a _wonderful_ idea. Princess Zora, please _do_ bring at least one of our visitors to the event."

"If that is your wish, Lady Regent," Zora says, bowing her head. She feels a spot of panic not having been informed of the event in the first place, but calms herself down. This could be the perfect opportunity to network with the nobility as well as show off Sinbad and gain support for opening the country. Galina doesn't know that Sinbad is a merchant, therefore she doesn't know that he could be the key to stopping her plans of permanent isolation. "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

"Is everything alright?" Sharrkan asks, fiddling with his thumbs. Zora feels bad for him, being so young and in such a precarious position. Masrur looks up as well from where he's sitting next to the training facilities, watching Hinahoho help Borna with her metal vessel. At his words, the rest of the group looks to her entrance as well. Cenek's face is contorted with worry.

"Yes, everything is fine," Zora assures the group, not wanting to cause panic. Internally she thinks, _for now_. She squeezes the fabric of her veil in her hands. "We just have to revise our plan a bit."

"What do you mean by that?" Sinbad asks, walking forward to where she is. Zora turns to look at him.

"Well, it means that Galina knows about you all being here and she's not happy about it," Zora says. "We've been invited to attend a gala at the end of the week."

"What do you mean _we_?" Sinbad asks.

"I mean exactly that," Zora says. "The gala is when I'll present you to the nobility. I wanted to wait a bit longer, to finalize the plans for trade arrangements, but we're going to have to speed everything up."

"I see," Sinbad says.

Borna steps forward. "If I may?" they ask Zora. She gestures for them to go ahead and speak. "I would recommend you come up with the main goals of a trade arrangement during this week to tell the nobility who inquire. There are steps that we must now all take in order to succeed in gaining ground at the gala. First, since I assume that Zora means to bring everyone, we'll have to call in a tailor. Second, you all must learn the traditional dances. It will look better if you respect our royal traditions regardless of how trite you may find them. Third, we must arrange pairs, who will go with who and who will be standing guard. That discussion will fall to those of us who are guards," they cast their eyes around, looking to Javor, Lesya, Khadem, and Radana before sweeping the room for another face. They seem to pay no mind to the missing person and continue speaking. "To show unity between the future leader of the nation and the head of the company, I recommend Zora and Sinbad attend together. For the rest of you, it's up to what you want. Now, for the dancing I believe it would be best if—"

" _Please don't be mad at me I can explain,"_ the screech is accompanied by the sound of the doors to the training room being swung open and slamming into the walls in a metallic clanging and scraping noise. Borna doesn't flinch at the sound, but turns calmly. Javor crosses his arms and tries to look imposing.

"Mirko, it's nice that you've finally joined us," they say, raising an eyebrow. The boy, who looks to be around the age of Lesya, rubs his clavicle and lets out a nervous laugh. "What do you not want me to be mad about?"

"Um," Mirko says, his voice high-pitched as he looks to the ceiling, avoiding Borna's intense amber eyes. "I kind of lost the prince?"

Javor slams his hands over his eyes and groans. "Mirko, you had _one_ job. _Literally._ "

"I can explain!" Mirko says. "That little grey-haired kid came and got him and they disappeared. Prince Vincenc said that he was going to show him some spell books but when I went to get them from the library they weren't there."

"Why didn't you _go_ with them to the library?" Javor asks, his mouth tilting into a disappointed frown.

"Be _cause_ ," he says, "I thought they wanted some alone time. I didn't want to be there standing awkwardly in the corner to watch them while Prince Vincenc experiences friendship for the first time."

Sinbad leans over and whispers in Zora's ear. "No offense, but your guards seem pretty…"

She chuckles once under her breath. "No offense taken. You're right. I handpicked all of these people outside of Galina's control. For instance, Lesya was the daughter of a smith. I met her when I was staying with a noble family to learn about statesmanship. Her father was working with the horses when she and I came across each other. We hit it off right away and when it was time for me to leave, I asked her if she wanted to return to the palace with me, to study fighting and war, and she said yes."

"Did you come across all your guards like this?" he asks. Zora shrugs.

"In a way. None of them where given to me by Galina. I wouldn't trust anyone she sent here. What about you? How did you find your friends?"

Sinbad relates his story, starting with Hinahoho, which Zora is mildly familiar with from reading his books. It's interesting to hear it from his mouth without the broad exaggerations and fanciful language. She likes it better, hearing it as a story of people brought together by chance as opposed to something clandestine. Sinbad is enchanting to watch as he speaks.

Mirko lets out a loud _yipe_ before he covers his head with his hand. The sound distracts Zora and Sinbad from their conversation and the two turn to see Borna back away from the boy, their hands in front of them. "Mirko, what happened to your shoulder?"

The boy flinches from Borna's tone and rests his hand on his left shoulder, biting his lip. "I was just surprised by you touching me, is all. You're not a very touchy-feely person, Borna!" he laughs loudly and forced. Mirko's never been a particularly good liar, being almost unable to keep a secret, which is why the group doesn't include Mirko in many conversations of political importance.

Borna's eyebrows are furrowed in the middle with worry and her mouth is pulled down at a corner. Zora knows that expression well. "Mirko, if you're injured, we need to know," they turn to Javor. "Do you know…?"

Javor shakes his head. "I had no idea. Lesya, were you too rough with him during a spar or something?"

The girl crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. "Of _course_ not, Javor. I'm never _too rough_ ," Mystras looks at her with disbelief. Unaware of his look, Lesya walks forward to Mirko. "If you're hurt when we spar, let me know. You've been off lately."

Mirko doesn't make eye-contact with the group and seems to cave in on himself. "I will next time. Anyway, I can't find Prince Vincenc."

"Wherever he is, he's probably with Ja'far," Sinbad says, smiling at the group reassuringly. "If anyone can keep him safe it's that kid."

Sinbad's group all make noises of agreement. Masrur pipes up in a quiet and understated voice, "Ja'far's scary." Sharrkan looks like he wants to agree before he decides not to and instead wraps an arm around Masrur's shoulders. The red-haired boy looks vaguely annoyed and Sharrkan says loudly.

"Don't _worry_ , Masrur. It's normal at your age to be afraid of Ja'far, but he's not actually that scary. You have nothing to worry about."

Masrur rolls his eyes at Sharrkan's words but doesn't respond and allows the older boy to hang on him.

"Regardless," Kadhem says, entering the conversation, "Prince Vincenc needs to be aware of what's going on since it concerns him. Zora, do you have any idea where he'd be?"

Zora shakes her head. "If he's not in the library, his room, or practicing magic, I don't know where he'd be. He may have taken Ja'far on a tour…" She trails off, realizing that Cenek is _definitely_ the type of kid to sneak out of the castle and show Ja'far around the cliffs and swamps. She remembers their special place, where their boat is. "Actually, I do have an idea of where he is."

"Where?" Borna asks.

"He'll be back before nightfall," Zora says, not wanting to give away the location of their place. "When he comes back, I'll let him know what's happening."

"What _is_ happening?" Mirko asks.

Lesya turns to him. "There's a gala at the end of the week. We all need to go and present ourselves for the nobility. Lady Regent wants to meet these guys," she gestures to Sinbad and his friends. Mirko looks over them, as if he's really seeing them for the first time. His mouth makes a small o shape before he closes it again.

"Got it."

"Javor and I will put together a guide of what everyone's duties will be, who is escorting who, and so on," Borna says. "We'll send it to the crier for the announcements at the beginning of the event. Anyway, what I was going to say about dancing –Javor, your wife was once an… instructor was she not?"

He nods. "She was. She still knows a thing or two. Would you want me to ask her to come here and teach some of the steps?"

"Yes," Borna says, "if she could. Other than that, Sinbad and Zora need to discuss the contract details they will be presenting to the nobility. The two of you need to have a firm story for what you want to happen that you do not stray from. Standing as a united front will look better to the sheep you will be talking to. Kadhem, go and find a tailor so we can dress them in clothes suiting such an event –the more traditional the better."

Kadhem immediately moves into action, walking briskly from the room. Javor rests a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'll bring my wife in tomorrow." Borna fixes their eyes on Sinbad and Zora who are still standing off to the side near one another.

"You two get to work as well and we can break for the day."

"Wait," Zora says as she remembers her duties to the people. She fixes a look to Borna hoping her ommer understands what she wants to convey without having to say it in front of Mirko. Borna seems to get it. They nod.

"Your duties can wait. I'll take care of what I can of them so that no one is too pressed for time. Lesya, you'll be coming with me."

Radana steps forward from where she had been standing silently, watching the group talk amongst themselves. "Mirko, you're with me. I think a punishment for your negligence is in order."

"Don't be too hard on him, Radana, he's just a child," Javor says placatingly. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes."

Radana turns a steely gaze on him. "A mistake that could cost the life of one of the two last remaining vessels of Ctirad's bloodline? Unacceptable."

Mirko sulks after her, looking like he wants to curl up in a hole and die. Zora appreciates Radana's loyalty, but Mirko doesn't need to be treated poorly because Cenek likes to break the rules and explore. She turns to Sinbad and gestures with her head for him to follow after her. He follows her to the library where they sit next to each other the table they've been using to draft a business contract. The surface of the table is littered with books, scrolls, parchment, and inks.

"Are we just going to scrap what we have?" she asks him. She frowns at the table. "Not that we have a lot."

"I think we should just synthesize what needs to happen and then we can work out the details later, like Borna said," Sinbad says. "The most pressing issue for me right now is repairing my boat so I can return to my business."

"Right," Zora says, taking a fresh sheet of parchment and writing that down, followed by what she wants _a trade agreement_. "We can work out what trade will be taking place later."

"If you want me to trade with you, I need the ability to come and go from the island freely. We don't know how quickly the goods you will be giving to me to sell will go, but considering your nation has been closed for about ten years, it will probably be a hot commodity," Sinbad says. He takes the paper from her and writes down _Sindria Co.'s ships must come and go freely in order to increase revenue both for the company and for the island_.

Zora hums. "The nobility won't like the idea of you being able to come and go freely at first. Maybe we should have it be monthly at first and then expand depending on how often you'd need to renew your stocks."

"That's understandable," Sinbad says, scratching out the word _freely_ and editing it accordingly. "You've mentioned something about being sponsored?"

"Yes," Zora responds, and explains the how, in the old days, the royalty would compete with one another to see who could gain the most amount of revenue through sponsoring merchant companies and vendors both in and out of the country. While that idea of economic competition is still present in the Merlyudan nobility, trading with the outside and gaining prestige has gone out of fashion. Zora hopes to bring it back and increase revenue flow within the country, maybe creating jobs for those who have nothing. After she finishes explaining, Sinbad jots down _Sinbad is sponsored by royalty_ and she continues: "I want you to hire some Merlyudans to attend to the goods and work for your company."

"I'll have to run over the numbers with Ja'far to see how many we'd be able to hire," Sinbad says, "but I'll definitely be able to hire some. Numbers can wait."

"Right," Zora agrees, "and we can work out the exact numbers of the agreement in regards to percentages later as well."

"True," Sinbad agrees. The two teenagers look down at the list they've written. "Does this seem good for now?"

Zora hums as she reads it over a few times, thinking about what they've said and what else could be done. They will eventually have to work on building and repairing shops and technology for forging their metals as well as update their mining equipment and reinvent some of their naval power, but those are finer details that can wait for the time being. Zora thinks that the two had hit upon the most important aspects of what they needed to accomplish. For Sinbad, to acquire a new and intriguing trade partner and possible future alliance and for Zora to start making a plan in order to stimulate the crippled economy of Merlyuda and lay the stones for overthrowing her stepmother.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Cenek _loves_ Svitlana. He rarely ever gets to see her, but when he does, it's a delight.

"Oh, what was I going to –ah! I remember now," Svitlana says, spinning over to where Cenek is standing with Ja'far. Their hands are interlocked and they are standing across from each other and Cenek has his hand on the small of Ja'far's back. They're standing in an almost circle with the other couples Borna has chosen. They had spent the entire morning going over the basic steps of the _oberek_ and were now about to figure out how to put it all together. Svitlana taps his shoulder. Ja'far adjusts his back, standing straighter. "Perfect!"

"She's…" Ja'far says to him quietly, watching her as moves around the two circles they had formed, adjusting Sinbad and Zora before moving on to Masrur and Sharrkan and then Mystras and Lesya.

"Air-headed?" Cenek supplies. Ja'far nods, looking sheepish. Cenek laughs. "She can be kind of forgetful but she's an awesome woman. She and Javor have an amazing love story. I always love hearing about it."

"What is it?" Ja'far asks.

"It's not really my place to say," Cenek says. _Javor will tell it better than I could_. "But it's a story about _forbidden love_ that actually ends happily for once."

Ja'far looks intrigued by the idea, his brain probably firing through whatever scenarios he could come up with to guess their story. "That's nice. Not many forbidden loves work out well."

"Nope," Cenek agrees. "But Javor and Svitlana are probably the most in love people I've seen in my life." He turns Ja'far around to show him where Svitlana is receiving a kiss on the nose from Javor as she explains something to Hinahoho whose large hands dwarf Javor's where they touch him. Despite her pink cheeks, Svitlana continues to talk without a pause before she kisses Javor on the shoulder, on top of his loose sleeve. The two smile at each other sweetly. Hinahoho watches them with a small, sad smile on his face, as if he's missing someone.

"How long have they been together?" Ja'far asks.

"I'm not sure exactly, probably twelve years? They have two young daughters," Cenek explains. "I haven't met their kids, though. I'm sure they're great with Javor and Svitlana as their parents."

"It's good to see a happy family," Ja'far says, his voice quiet. The two continue standing, waiting for Svitlana to direct them in the steps of the fast paced and whirling _oberek_. It's one of Cenek's favorite dances to watch, but one of his least favorites to dance. He's never been particularly coordinated and it takes all of his concentration to dance the _oberek_ normally. Also, when it comes to the jumps, he's always afraid he will either drop someone or be dropped. He much prefers the _polonaise_ , slow and walking. He also dislikes the _polka_ , because he always makes a fool of himself when he tries to dance it. Cenek thinks he makes a fool of himself a lot.

 _Well,_ he thinks _, at least I'll be better than Ja'far until he gets the steps down._

"Looks like," Svitlana drawls out the word _like_ as she reevaluates the couples in front of her, "everyone's ready! This is the hardest part of the _oberek._ Don't feel bad if you completely mess up! This dance is very acrobatic and fast. I'll demonstrate with Borna how all the moves you've learned so far go together and then we'll try it out as a big group –starting with the big circle. First though, I'll have Borna demonstrate some of the harder parts with me so you can see what you're going to be doing."

Borna pushes off of the wall where they were standing before coming to join Svitlana in the center of the floor. While dancing has never been one of their favorite activities, they had a talent for it. Cenek wishes he'd inherited his ommer's talent. Instead, he got his mother's magic and _nothing else_. He pouts slightly at the thought. Svitlana cues the musicians she'd called in, friends from their town, where the plague hadn't reached yet. The musicians begin the lively music, dominated by the violin, and Borna and Svitlana burst into movement, spinning and whirling and leaping. Borna preforms the more acrobatic role, gracefully circling around the room with Svitlana.

"This doesn't look so bad," Ja'far comments as he watches Svitlana's role. Cenek shakes his head.

"You get the lucky role," Cenek complains, but it's not a serious complaint. He doesn't want to make a fool of himself, but he'll do it to save Ja'far from embarrassment. He looks over to Sinbad and sees him look shook at Borna's role before his face morphs into something determined. He laughs a bit to himself. He'll have fun seeing how the rest of them do. He looks around the circle and realizes that he's the only one in the lead position to be experienced in the _oberek_. "Though, I guess I'll look pretty good until everyone else gets it."

Ja'far looks around and realizes the same thing before meeting Cenek's eyes again and smiling. "I'm sure you'd do well regardless of the level of experience between the other dancers."

Before Cenek can respond, Svitlana commands them to start the dance, the musicians starting over again. While she had taught the steps and premise of the dance, he can still feel the nervous energy of the inexperienced dancers in the room. "You're lead, Prince Vincenc!" Svitlana calls out to him. Cenek has a moment where he internally shrieks _responsibility!_ Before he realizes it will be okay.

He holds Ja'far's hand throughout the dance until Ja'far does a few of the spinning motions that he can't hold on for, but it's soon back in his. Cenek yells out for a rotation and the group changes direction as they spin. He finds himself smiling as he watches Hinahoho trip over his feet, only to be supported by Javor who lets out a loud _oof_ sound as the larger man falls against him. It's been a long time since Cenek had enjoyed dancing with other people –normally he feels too much like an uncoordinated mess.

He looks at Ja'far and sees the smaller boy's mouth pinched tightly in concentration as he tries to remember the steps. He's doing good, though. He's extremely coordinated, but Cenek's first feeling isn't jealousy but something else. Something warmer. _He's cool_ , Cenek thinks for the umpteenth time since he'd met Ja'far.

Cenek jumps, Ja'far bracing him, and stumbles slightly on the comedown, but he doesn't feel bad about it. Ja'far smiles slightly as he catches Cenek and it makes the prince feel good. He likes making Ja'far smile. Eventually, the musicians stop and so does the group. Most people are laughing and panting for air. Ja'far's cheeks are red from exertion and there's a sheen of sweat on his brow. Cenek knows he doesn't look much better.

"Wow! Sinbad, you picked that up fast!" Svitlana comments from where she stands, clapping slowly. Sinbad smiles and scratches the back of his neck, seeming to be caught between smugness and humility at being praised. "The rest of you were okay. You need to practice more during the rest of this week. But it was great for your first lesson!"

"Was _I_ good, Svita?" Javor asks, his voice sugary. Svitlana hums, tapping her chin.

"I don't know. I wasn't watching you."

Javor gasps, throws his hand onto his heart and makes crying noises. "Svita… I thought you loved me."

"Of _course_ , I love you," Svitlana says "But I don't need to watch you all the time when I can see you whenever I want."

"Ew," Mirko says from where he's standing off to the side. Cenek rolls his eyes in his retainer's direction. Mirko is a fun guy to be around but he's even more scatterbrained than Cenek. Sometimes it feels like Cenek is the retainer for _Mirko_ and not the other way around. Which is fine, but it does fuel Cenek's rebellious streak when Mirko tries to tell him what to do because Mirko doesn't inspire any respect or authority whatsoever. Cenek can take care of Mirko better than Mirko can take care of himself.

"I think they're cute," Cenek says loudly. Mirko puts a hand on his hip.

"It's not that they're not cute, it's that I don't appreciate them being cute around _me_ , especially when I don't have anyone to be cute with."

" _I_ don't have anyone to be cute with either!" Cenek says. Mirko shakes his head.

"You'll understand when you're older," Mirko says, looking at Cenek with condescension.

" _Oh_ ," Cenek says breathing out deeply. "I hate you."

"Sure," Mirko responds, chipper. "You could never truly hate me, Prince Vincenc. You're not a hateful person."

"Don't test me," Cenek snaps back, pursing his lips at Mirko. He does enjoy Mirko, but sometimes Mirko just gets this _look_ on his face that Cenek hates. It's not as if Mirko's a bad guy. He just has one condescending bone in his body. That behavior only comes out at certain times and is usually directed towards Cenek who is the only person in the castle younger than him. Sometimes Cenek wonders if this what having an older brother would be like.

Mirko holds up his hands with a laugh. "I would _never_. I'll let you get back to your friend." He leans back against the wall, his dark hair fanning out behind his head. Cenek rolls his eyes as he turns back to Ja'far.

"As you can see, I get _no_ respect whatsoever," he says, mostly joking. Ja'far chuckles lightly.

"It'll come with time."

Cenek sighs wistfully. "I know. I just want my magic to get stronger so that I can get some respect that way. One day, I'm going to throw down with Mirko and win and he won't be able to look down on me anymore."

"I believe in you," Ja'far says and it makes Cenek's heart stop before beating rapidly. He puts a hand to his chest, unsure what was happening to him. Was he dying? Ja'far raises an eyebrow at what is no doubt a confused expression on Cenek's face.

"What's wrong?" Ja'far asks him. Cenek's cheeks feel hot against the cold air of the room.

"I don't know," Cenek responds, raising his hands to his cheeks. "I think I'm dying."

Ja'far looks shaken for a second before shaking his head with mirth. "You're not dying. None of your food has been poisoned."

 _Then what is this?_ Cenek asks, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He's never felt this hot before. In some ways, it feels like a fever. Did Ja'far's genuine comment make him sick? How could he get sick from that? _Is it the plague?_ he thinks in a rush of fear before calming himself down. He doesn't have a headache or a stomachache and the heat is already rushing out of his face.

"Okay, I'm not dying," Cenek agrees, stomach twisting in embarrassment from what just happened. _Why can't I be cool for once in my life? I'm a living disaster zone._

"Glad to hear it," Ja'far says, a tone of laughter still present in his voice. _Ugghhhh,_ Cenek groans internally. He just wants Ja'far to like him. Ja'far's really cool. While Sinbad and Zora had been off by themselves in the dungeon, the comrades had been tested as well, and been forced to show off their abilities. Cenek had used his magic and Ja'far had used his rope daggers. It was amazing watching him flip through the air and stab things. All Cenek can do is stand still and hope nothing gets near him. Ja'far's all over the place when he fights and he's fast and limber. Next to him, Cenek's like a lumbering, heavy-footed elephant who can't even _walk_ quietly.

"Alright everyone," Svitlana says, grabbing the attention of the group. "We're going to do the _oberek_ once more, all the way through, and then I'm going to go over the steps of the _redowa_ , _polka,_ and the _polonaise_."

Ja'far holds out a hand to Cenek which the boy takes, tugging Ja'far forward and wrapping his hand around the small of his back. They move into position with the rest of the group.

The band starts the lively tempo and the two begin to move.

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Sinbad yanks at the sleeves of the _jelek_ he'd been put into by the royal tailor, a person who was very serious about their craft. He shudders at the memory of needles poking into his skin every time he moved. It's hard for him to stand still. He analyzes himself in the mirror. Merlyudan fashion seems to be primarily made up of a lot of fabrics embroidered with floral patterns and interwoven with gold and silver threads. His _jelek_ is black with silver embroidered peonies and ends at his waist, where a thick, indigo belt is wrapped around his middle, covering the high top of his loose trousers. His shirt is light and grey with vertical stripes of silver woven down it. His shoes, _krbce_ , are tied around his ankles. It's a very different look than he normally wears, but he knows he looks good in it.

The past week had been fast-paced, going from dance class to fittings to practicing to learning about Merlyudan niceties and back to practice. He and Zora, while they spent every day together, barely had time to work on her djinn control. While she can finally summon both Khusak and Varak consistently, she's still having trouble with the other aspects. He had found her one night, meditating in the training room, incense burning in the corner. He'd watched her for a while, breathing in the scents of cypress and smoke. After who knows how long, she'd stood up and walked to the center of the floor, calling out Khusak and then Varak and the Khusak again, most likely working on quickening the speed of her transitions between aspects. Showing her his ability to shift between djinn quickly had probably inspired her to try something similar.

After a while, she stopped and deactivated them, placing her hands on her belt and closing her eyes. She seemed to be concentrating, but nothing was happening. He watched the furrow between her brows become deeper and more entrenched within her face, before she exhaled angrily, swept over to the incense, put it out and began to march to the door. Sinbad had moved quickly then, for some reason not wanting to be seen by her _was it because I was spying_ , he questioned himself, and hid behind a pillar. He waited a few seconds until the echoing clicks over her shoes vanished before walked back to his own room, feeling something like pity for her. She has a lot of demons she needed to battle before figuring out how to use the rest of her aspects.

Suddenly, his door opens and Ja'far peeks his head in. He's wearing a completely different outfit, with narrow trousers, leather shoes, and a shirt that the tailor had called _kosovorotka_ which is embroidered with flowers down the line of the skewed collar. It's cinched at his waist.

"Are you ready to go?" Ja'far asks. His eyes look kind of shifty, so Sinbad gestures for him to come in. He hadn't been able to spend much time with Ja'far after the shipwreck due to the young prince mostly monopolizing his time.

"Just about," Sinbad responds. Ja'far comes into the room and sits down on the edge of Sinbad's bed. He crosses his arm. "Is something bothering you?"

Ja'far looks around the room, seeming to mull the question over in his mind before he sighs. "I guess?"

"Is it Cenek?"

"He's not bothering me," Ja'far says quickly. There's a slight flush of pink to his cheeks. "It's just that I'm not used to someone being so…"

"Into you?" Sinbad supplies, watching his younger friend struggle. Ja'far nods, looking a bit guilty.

"I like being his friend, but sometimes I think he just wants me to be cool all the time."

"And you don't think you can be cool all the time."

"That's not it," Ja'far says, "it's like everything I do to him is cool. Like I can't _not_ be cool. I guess I'm just worried that he won't think I'm cool after being around me and the more time we spend together, the more worried I get."

Sinbad parses through Ja'far's words. So Ja'far's worried that Cenek will stop seeing him as cool and not like him anymore. "The way I see it, Cenek really does like you, genuinely. He just may not be able to express it very well. I don't think he'll get tired of you."

"But, I'm not very interesting," Ja'far says. "He has a lot of things he's interested in and all I want to do is balance your checkbooks and manage our storehouses for sale. Or, you know, beat you up sometimes."

"Maybe Cenek likes that," Sinbad responds, wiggling his eyebrows at Ja'far. Ja'far flushes and frowns.

"We're not like that," Ja'far bites out. "We're just friends. Not everything's about _sex_ , Sinbad. Besides, I don't even think he realizes that exists outside of couples who are _already together_."

"I'm just expressing that it'd be okay if you were," he says. "I especially don't think anyone would judge you here, regardless of what the norms are outside of Merlyuda."

Ja'far tilts his head. "I mean, thanks? I just wanted friendship advice. How do I let Cenek know that I'm not who he thinks I am?"

"Just be yourself," Sinbad says, trying to reassure Ja'far. While he and Ja'far are typically open with each other, and he was the first person Sinbad went to when he needed help after Maader, Ja'far isn't as open with sharing his feelings. Sinbad understands him, though. "If it gets to be too much, you should tell him how you feel. Being open with people and communicating is the best way to get what you want from the relationship."

Ja'far seems to pout a bit, his nose scrunching up. It makes him look his age. Usually, he seems so much older. "I don't really want to though. It would be awkward and I don't want to make Cenek feel bad."

"But you need to, if you want to be happy, too. Trust me, you'll be happier if you talk to him about it," Sinbad responds. While he doesn't have much experience himself in making friends due to being one of the only people of his age growing up, but there were times where he'd get into arguments with the younger kids and some of the older girls. His mother would always tell him to talk it out instead of letting things fester and making everyone in the village awkward. Sharing his mother's advice makes him slightly sad as he thinks about her. About never being able to see her again.

He pushes the thoughts to the back of his mind. _Not now, Sinbad_.

"I'll talk to him if it gets any weirder," Ja'far promises. Sinbad remembers that Ja'far is still only thirteen, and therefore feels more awkward with social interaction. Sinbad flicks his bangs out of his eyes and smiles at his friend, stretching out a hand. Ja'far takes it and Sinbad pulls him from the bed.

"Let's get going, I'm sure the others are waiting on us."

The two walk out of the room and down the hallway to the main corridor where the rest of the group is waiting. Sinbad is intrigued by the traditional wear of Merlyuda, especially the head dresses –Javor's and Cenek's _kartuz_ , Lesya's flowered wreath, and Zora's… thing (he assumes it's a kind of crown) –as well as the layering of skirts over trousers and waistcoats and robes.

"Sorry we're late," Sinbad says as he apologizes. Zora smiles at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Thank you for _gracing_ us with your presence," she teases. Sinbad rolls his eyes at her. He hadn't been sure what to think of Zora at first. _Liar_ was definitely a word he would have used to describe her after the dungeon, but now that doesn't seem right. He's beginning to understand the things that she does. He finds her to be lost and in need of guidance, but with a disinterest in being guided. He thinks she just needs a few pushes in the right directions to discover herself, though he knows he's not the only one who could help her. Rurumu would probably be the best option, but it's unlikely the two would ever meet. Besides, her sense of self-discovery isn't his business. He thinks that she's beginning to understand him as well, even if he hasn't shared too much about himself in the week and a half they've known each other.

"You're welcome," Sinbad quips back, coming to stand next to her. Her headdress is so tall it reaches above his head and fans out into a half-circle, a transparent veil falling behind it.

"You look good," Zora compliments him, looking him up and down. "Merlyudan fashion suits you."

"All fashion suits me," he says, smirking down at her. She raises a hand to her mouth and snorts out a laugh.

"I bet you're right."

"You look beautiful, too," he responds. She flushes, but accepts the compliment. It's true, her clothing accentuates her small waist and the layering of skirts over her _sharovary_. Her hair is pulled back underneath her headdress but her forehead isn't exposed, instead covered by the shining jewels and metal links hanging down from the front of it. The back of her hair hangs down loose around her shoulders, enshrouded by the sheer veil. Floral embroidery decorates both her skirts and the top of her blouse around her neck and down the loose sleeves and the high-collared short-waisted vest.

"Thanks, man," she accepts, once again adding _man_ at the end. Sinbad realizes she does this when she gets embarrassed, probably to separate herself from him emotionally. _Funny_ , he thinks. He looks over to see Ja'far standing next to Cenek who's holding him by the shoulders, looking him up and down with an excited gleam to his eye. Ja'far seems embarrassed by the attention.

"Now that we're all here," Borna says, addressing the group. They, like Kadhem, Mirko, and Radana are wearing all black, likely to show that they aren't going to party but to protect, "I'll explain the process. You'll gather in the line of nobles and wait your turn to be announced. As you are announced, you will stand there and address the crowd with a smile and a wave and then descend the stairs into the dancehall. Then, you're free to roam, but try to stay to a single location where we can regroup if necessary."

The group all makes noises of acquiescence and understanding before following Borna and Kadhem, Mirko and Radana bringing up the rear. Sinbad holds out an arm to Zora who looks at it for a second, seeming confused before making a facial expression that was the equivalent of a shrug and puts her arm through his, standing closer to him.

"Are you feeling nervous about the dances at all?" Zora asks, making conversation.

"Not particularly," Sinbad says, sounding unaffected. He'd picked up the dances easy enough, though the _oberek_ does provide some intriguing difficulties with all of the jumping and spinning. He doesn't think he'll make a fool of himself, though –he rarely does. "Don't worry, I won't make you look bad."

"I didn't think you would," Zora says. "If anything, just your face would make me look good," she pauses, scrunches her face, and continues. "That sounded weird."

Sinbad laughs at her. "What does that mean?"

"Well," she starts, sounding a bit flustered. "I just mean that you're _handsome_ so…"

"So, I'm your arm candy for the night?" Sinbad shakes his head with a chuckle. He'd never been called _arm candy_ before, or even been alluded to as such. It's interesting experiencing these new things. While he'd been involved with royalty before, it'd never been to a personal extent. Living in close contact with royalty for however long leaves him both interested and frustrated –he sees the lifestyle he's desired, however he also has no power over his own life. It's less freedom than he usually has as a merchant of Reim, having to follow all of the regulations. He can't step out of line here and risk not only the future trade agreement, but his way off the island.

"I mean _I guess_ ," Zora responds. "Yeah, that's basically what I was saying."

"I'm flattered, but also a bit offended," Sinbad says, with a grin, showing that he's not _actually_ offended. If anything, he thinks he has a bit more of an understanding of what women go through.

"No offense, of course. You _are_ handsome, but you're also smart and ambitious and determined," Zora says. Sinbad feels a bit flustered as well. It's weird hearing this like this while knowing she's not trying to flirt with him. Normally, when people compliment him it's in promise of something nice and fun to come later in the night. Hearing compliments so genuinely without an innuendo of something more is a new experience for him.

"Thank you," he says, feeling weird and off-kilter. She shrugs, a look on her face that says _I'm only telling the truth_.

They reach the end of the line that has been forming and Borna sends Mirko ahead to turn in their announcement cards. The line moves quicker than Sinbad had thought it would and there's also less socializing between their group and the other nobles. The nobles in front of him spare glances back to Zora's group but none of them try to approach. Zora also doesn't try to approach them, and while normally Sinbad would forge ahead and make friends himself, he knows that he and Zora need to provide a united front. He does however, file the thought in the back of his mind to bring up to her. She needs to be friendlier if she wants to win the hearts and loyalty of her country's nobility.

Borna rearranges them, with Sinbad and Zora in the back and Masrur and Sharrkan at the front. The lights of the hall shine under the curtain they are positioned behind as the crier begins.

"Introducing the young prince Sharrkan Amun-Ra of the Kingdom of Heliohapt, and his escort, Masrur of the Fanalis, the two come in the party and company of her Royal Highness, Princess Zora Król-Růžička!" the two children walk forward, their arms linked and out of Sinbad's sight. A few seconds pass and the next are summoned forward.

"Introducing the son of the Knight King of Sasan, Mystras Leoxses, and his escort, Lesya Kovalenko, a Royal Guard, also in the company of her Royal Highness, Princess Zora Król-Růžička!" Mystras and Lesya walk forward, arm and arm.

"Introducing the son-in-law of the Chief of the Imuchakk, Hinahoho and his escort, the Head of the Royal Guard, Javor Bogdanović, also in the party and company of her Royal Highness, Princess Zora Król-Růžička!" Hinahoho and Javor walk forward, also arm in arm.

"Introducing, from the party of her Royal Highness, Prince Vincenc Król-Růžička and his escort, Ja'far, of the Sindria Trading Company!"

Cenek and Ja'far walk forward, Cenek's face already arranged into a princely and confident smile that belayed the tremble to his hands. Zora looks up at Sinbad.

"Ready?"

"Oh yeah."

"Introducing, our special guests of the night: Her Royal Highness, the Princess Zora Król-Růžička and her escort, the CEO of the Sindria Trading Company, Sinbad of Parthevia!"

Zora tugs him through the curtains and he's given the view of the already assembled nobles staring up at them in wonder. He smiles broadly and waves slowly, as Borna had instructed, soaking up their admiration and intrigue. The crowd of nobles' eyes are locked on them and they all begin to murmur, the sound a clamor of noise. Is it surprising for Zora to attend an event or is the attention solely because he is from another country? They stand there for a few seconds before they begin to descend the stairs to join their group which is standing nearby. Masrur looks around with unconcealed excitement in his eyes while Sharrkan stands closer to Masrur than he normally would, watching the adults around him.

"Mirko, stay with the children," Radana says. "I'll keep watch over Prince Vincenc."

Mirko nods, going to stand next to Sharrkan and Masrur, a smile on his face. He fiddles with the hem of his billowing sleeves, his eyes glancing around at the crowd. He looks nervous, though that seems to be his default state if everything Sinbad's seen of him this week is true. Radana nods at Cenek who takes Ja'far by the hand and leads him out onto the dancefloor where people are swaying to the music and chatting. He has a sweet, almost smitten look on his face. When the two turn around, Sinbad sees that Ja'far's face is less emotional, but there's an undercurrent of awkwardness and fondness beneath his expression, in the curve of his lips, the color of his cheeks, and the tenseness of his eyebrows.

"Wanna dance?" Zora asks him, holding out a hand. Her eyes are wide as they look up at him, entreating. He can't find it in him to say no even if he'd rather network first. He takes her hand and she leads him out to the dance floor. The band is playing a _redowa_ , which they had practiced after figuring out the _oberek._ Svitlana had decided that they'd understand the different variations within the waltz after dancing something with more acrobatic complexity. From what Sinbad can understand, all of the dances of Merlyuda seem to be based on the same rhythmic meter, barring the polka. After figuring out even the most complex moves are based off of the 1-2-3 pattern, learning the different forms became easier to him. Then again, Sinbad is Sinbad, after all. He's almost a jack of all trades, except he's _good_ at everything he tries, not just tolerable.

He puts his hand around her back, pulling her close to him and she places her arm on his shoulder, their intertwined hands held low and out. The music begins and with her finery and his foreign looks, he can feel the eyes of the Merlyudan noble scene drawn to them. _Look,_ he thinks at the eyes regarding them as they take their place on the dancefloor, waiting for a time to enter the dance, _your princess is being escorted by me. Look and see what your future will be like_. Sinbad _will_ open their island to trade. He applies some pressure to Zora's back and leads them in with his arm. They start to swirl around the floor. He thinks to himself _one two three one two three_ –completing the leaping steps of the dance. Zora's skirt furls out around her revealing the dark trousers underneath resembling a bell blossom.

"They're watching us," she says after they had swirled around a few times. He nods, slightly, and pulls her closer so that they won't be overheard by the other couples on the floor.

"I know. Your people don't hold back their feelings, do they?"

"We're normally pretty blunt, yes," she acquiesces a smile playing at the corner of her lips. He's seen her smile genuinely only few time since he's known her, mostly in regards to her brother and friends. He likes being the cause of that. When she's not talking to people, there's a sad solemnity that befalls her countenance.

"You have your moments," he responds. He finds it interesting how she will lie and then immediately say something so genuine it throws him off. He thinks she wants to be an honest person, or maybe that she has an honest disposition, but she's had to learn to get her way, whatever way she can.

Her eyes cast around the room before settling back on him. "After this dance, I'm going to introduce you to Galina."

Sinbad raises his eyebrows down at her. "So soon?"

"It's the best decision. Normally I would stall as long as possible, but I don't want to give her the upper hand."

"If that's what you feel is best. I'm prepared to speak to her at any time," he says assuredly. He'd dealt with not only a slew of royalty, but also with incredibly intimidating women on numerous occasions. Queen Mira of Artemyra, for instance, as well as Maader. It doesn't get worse than Maader, in his opinion.

"That's good to hear," Zora says. She takes a deep breath and lets it out through her nose. _Nervous_ , Sinbad senses. "If I'm being honest, I'm a little worried."

"Why?" he asks, applying pressure to her back to guide her into a change of direction.

She sighs. "Well, it's just that Galina is the one person in the world who can cow me. I can't speak out against her without looking bad. If she rejects you… I'm still trying to decide what to do. If I should entreat the Council to revoke her ability to close the country or if I should do something else. Dealing with her is always calculation ten steps ahead of any interaction that could possibly happen."

Sinbad is quiet for a second as he processes her words. He definitely understood where she was coming from, being a business executive. Business management was mostly predicting rises and drops in the market, what will sell, how to maximize profit. "I understand that," he starts. "If there ends up being a bind, will you trust me to take the lead?"

Trust. Something that they've been working on. Trusting the djinn to release their powers. Trusting herself. Trusting him. He wants her to trust him. She gulps and he can see the motion in her throat, can read the tenseness of her shoulders that has nothing to do with the posture of the dance.

"I… That's a lot to ask of me, Sinbad," she says quietly, falteringly. He looks at her face as she lowers her gaze to stare at his chest. He can tell that she's thinking. He knows that she doesn't trust him –not to such an extent, yet. But he has confidence in his ability to persuade his way into getting what he wants without other people thinking they _don't_ want it. He is convincing.

"And I'm asking it," Sinbad says, his voice serious. "I won't stop asking until you're able to give me that trust."

Zora frowns up at him. "Do you realize what it means for me to let you take control? It means putting my reputation in your hands, my future. It means risking losing something to her. We need to convince the Council that I'm right. If you mess up, misstep, that could mean the end of everything we've planned. It could mean the end of my life, even. My future. There's too much at stake for me to risk trusting you with her."

"You don't have to do everything by yourself," he says, taking what she said in and processing it. He believes her biggest fear is letting people in and being betrayed or let down. "We were made to trust others, to work with them."

She laughs, but it's not a happy sound. "When have I ever been able to work with someone else?"

He feels a rush of frustration at her obstinance but tries to tie it down, hold back from expressing it. "You don't let yourself work with others. You _have_ to trust someone else at some point in your life. You spend all of your time thinking about what you have to do to protect your people, secure your future, keep Cenek safe," he leans closer whispering in her ear, _"kill Galina_ ," before continuing, "but you fail to think about including those people in your plans, of letting them give you their strength. They've already pledged themselves to you. Do you trust them?"

Zora opens her mouth to say something but pauses, guilt crossing over her face. "I trust them."

"But not with you," he says. "That's your problem. You need to learn that it's okay to let go of control every once in a while."

She bites her bottom lip, still frowning at him. "I _can't_."

Sinbad sighs. Why won't she just listen to him? Normally he can say like one or two things and everyone is either falling all over him or jumping to agree. Maybe he's just never dealt with someone with such a deep ingrained sense of mistrust and shoddily repressed anger. "You'll never be able to, with that attitude," he says. She looks up at him with big, imploring eyes. He can sense that she _wants_ to trust him, it's just a matter of letting her come to that decision in her own time. _Alright_ , he decides, _I'll let you do this on your own time_. She'll trust him, one day, he's sure.

"For now, if I seem at a loss for what to say, squeeze my hand or side if you have an idea and I'll let you take over," she says, trying to compromise. "We have to appear united, like equals. I'll… let go of that much control." She still doesn't look happy with the arrangement, but Sinbad feels his hear thump with excitement that he's chipped away at least a little bit of her armor.

"I won't let you down," he says, genuinely, happily. He now has more liberty to do what he's best at –getting his way from people who don't want to give it to him.

"You better not," she says, her voice hard. "If you do I'm never trusting you again."

He laughs, smiling down at her. Her eye flicker across his features and there's a flush to her cheeks. _Are you attracted to me, Zora?_ He thinks. He knows that look. "I'll give you reason _to_ trust me again."

She draws the corner of her mouth down into a frown and the openness of her expression shutters. _Fighting it?_ He thinks, flattered. Knowing her, if she is attracted to him, she's probably doubled down on denying it completely. She draws back from him as the music starts to wind down into something else, a dance he's not familiar with. "We should go speak to Galina now," she says, gesturing with her head to the dais where her stepmother and members of the council are sitting and chatting, a feast of food laid out in front of them. There's an empty chair next to Galina's, most likely for Zora. He contemplates her reasoning for rejecting the seat, maybe to try to seem more down to earth than a princess typically does? Maybe it's a show of rejection to Galina. Sinbad's still not sure about what the dynamic between the two is.

He holds out an arm to her which she takes and follows as she leads them up to the dais. Galina's special hat is much bigger and more extravagant than Zora's (which is saying something, because Zora's is _big_ ). He'll never get over the unnecessary finery of royalty. Zora curtseys to Galina, but she doesn't bow her head. Sinbad bows at the waist.

"Lady Regent," Zora says, her voice warm and buttery. "It's so nice to see you tonight. Your _kokoshnik_ is truly a sight to behold."

"As is yours, Princess," Galina replies. Sinbad is surprised by the soft timbre of her voice as well as by the half-smile on her face. Her hair is completely masked by the _kokoshnik_ (at least Sinbad assumes that the big hats are _kokoshniks_ ). Her eyes are fixed on Zora's face and there's something intense and disconcerting in them. "I'm excited to make acquaintances with your escort. Sinbad, was it?"

The attention of the councilmembers is on them as they start this exchange, undressing the interaction with their eyes. Sinbad starts to understand why Zora is so pent up all the time, if every interaction she has is scrutinized to, his extent.

"It is, Your Regency," he responds. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance as well. It's a shame we weren't able to meet prior to this."

"Indeed," Galina replies, her facial expression not changing in the slightest. While she wears a pleasant expression, the lack of emotion is off-putting. She turns to Zora. "I can see why you've been hiding him. He's handsome."

"Quite a catch, Your Highness," says a councilwoman, the side of her mouth quirking into a smirk. Zora's face is fixed in a pleasant expression, much like Galina's. "Seeing your face is a sight to behold. You look exactly like your mother. Though there is some Ctirad in there around your nose and cheeks."

"Thank you, Councilwoman Kamieniecki," Zora says. Sinbad suddenly remembers the fabric she'd held in her hands when she'd come to speak to them directly after her meeting with the Council and Galina a week ago. It strikes him suddenly, connecting the councilwoman's words to the stares they'd been receiving. None of these people had been allowed to see Zora's face, or to put it more aptly: Zora had not been allowed to show her face because she looks like her mother. "Sinbad is the CEO and founder of the Sindria Trading Company. His company is extremely reputable and well-known throughout the world. How many countries are you allied with again?"

"At this point, about six," Sinbad responds. "Currently, we're based out of the Reim Empire, though we do have offices throughout the countries we've made trade agreements with."

"Fascinating," says Councilwoman Kamieniecki, still looking Sinbad up and down. He directs his smile at her. She falls for his face, like many others. _Hook, line, sinker_. "It's been years since I've seen anyone from outside the island."

"There are many different kinds of people out there, Councilwoman," he responds. "Though none quite as lovely as you."

He can see Zora give him a look out of the corner of his eye that says _you're putting it on a bit thick, aren't you,_ but he continues. "And you as well, Lady Regent –your beauty is quite regal."

Her facial expression doesn't budge. "As I said before, Sinbad. You're quite handsome yourself. What purpose do you have in Merlyuda?"

"Sinbad seeks to make a trade agreement with us," Zora responds. She makes eye contact with every member of the council surrounding them, cluing them in to the interaction. "He and I have been working out the details of what that would entail."

"Opening the country?" Galina says, tilting her head. "You know that's not allowed."

"Actually, according the laws of our nation, royally sponsored merchants do the bidding of their sponsor in regards to trade, whether or not the country is opened or closed," Zora responds, her voice honeysweet. "I've already agreed to sponsor Sinbad."

This is met with muttering from the Council, some sounding positive and surprised, others more disgruntled. It seems to be split half and half.

"What would that entail?" asks another councilmember.

"Our agreement would create jobs for our citizens as well as revenue for our country. We'd be receiving a percentage of the wealth gained through our products. It would be a great way to start reinventing our economy," Zora responds, her voice upbeat.

"But opening the country…" says another councilmember, his face looking slightly disgusted at the thought.

"That sounds kind of dangerous," says another. "What about criminals? Thieves?"

"We have those now," responds a different member. "I think opening the country is a good idea."

"The country will not be opened," Galina says. "It's closed to protect us from those who would do us harm."

"We aren't talking about opening the country completely," Zora says, taking control of the situation. "Just allowing the Sindria Trading Company to sell our products. Your fears are valid in regards to being taken advantage of by other nations. Making a contract with Sinbad would allow us to reap the benefits of trade without taking the same amount of risks by opening our borders completely."

"But how do we know _he_ won't take advantage of us?" asks the first councilmember, looking at Sinbad distrustfully. Sinbad smiles kindly at him.

"I have no intentions to do that. You are in complete control of what you would like to trade, my company would merely be a vessel to bring Merlyuda the recognition and respect it deserves."

Zora nods. "The trading company would send in a vessel monthly to replenish their stock and jobs would be created on the island for artisans and off the island for Merlyudans who would help employ their shops and offer their advice for sale."

"I'd be fine with that," says Councilwoman Kamieniecki. "Bogdanoslav, you should be more open to the idea. It could be a great thing for our economy. We're all aware of the problems our people are going through. Wouldn't it be a good idea to do something for them, if only to secure their support and stamp out the possibility of rebellion?"

"You just want to find someone exotic to marry," Bogdanoslav says with a nasty expression on his face.

"Maybe so," Councilwoman Kamieniecki responds. "But that doesn't devalue the truth of my words. Next time you want to make an argument against me, think of something intelligent to say rather than an attack on my character."

Sinbad is slightly tickled by Councilwoman Kamieniecki. If she wasn't so much older than him, he'd probably entice her into his bed. He misses the ability to go out to a brothel and have a good time, but he has no problem taking care of himself.

"We can discuss this later," says Galina, looking around politely at the councilmembers but also effectively shutting down the conversation. She looks over to the musicians. "It seems as if they are about to play a _polonaise_. Zorka, my dear, would you mind if I steal your escort?"

Sinbad looks at Zora. The two meet eyes and he can read the question in her eyes. _Are you okay with that?_ Sinbad smiles at her affirmatively. He turns to Galina and bows his head.

"It would be my honor, Lady Regent."

Galina stands from her throne and takes the hand he offers her, descending the steps with him to the dancefloor where different couples are assuming the position for the rhythmic march. Mechanically, Sinbad takes her arms in the proper position and the two begin to walk.

"You and Zora seem close for only having known each other for about two weeks," Galina says. Sinbad glances down at her. There's concealed malice in her hazel eyes.

"We have a lot in common," he responds. "Zora is very forward-thinking."

"She is quite stubborn and unrelenting," the Regent says. Sinbad nods.

"Maybe so, but she's fierce and passionate about what she wants," he responds, unsure what Galina is trying to say.

"I'm sure you're familiar with a particular brand of passion. Tell me, what kind of passion does she portray?"

Sinbad's brain falters as he catches her implications. He can barely retain the snap in his voice. "The Princess and I are business partners and friends. We have not slept together."

"I said nothing of the sort," Galina says, a lilt to her voice. "Though it's interesting that you should bring that up. Tell me, are you aware of the taboo nature of sex within our society? Of bastard children? Are you aware of Zora's birth?"

"She's told me some of it," he says, recalling her words in the dungeon. Of her mother being a mistress.

"Her mother was the Court Magician, the righthand advisor to my poor, sweet, late husband," Galina says, her voice honey. "They spent many a long night together, with her advising him in _all_ kinds of activities. Battles, business transactions, diplomacy… the same talks the two of you are having now. It's hard for me to believe that she's fallen so far from her mother that her body wouldn't be tempted around someone as handsome as yourself. Though, maybe in this scenario, you're Zofia and she is Ctirad."

"Your implications and worries are unwarranted," Sinbad says, feeling slightly rattled. Why won't she let this go? "As I said before, I am only her friend. She is a benefactor for me and I hope to repay that debt to her in kind by helping to revitalize the economy of Merlyuda. Something you seem to have overlooked by closing the country without putting into place other means of revenue."

"As her stepmother, I can assure you I am only worried for both her life and her virtue," Galina says, her voice sugar. "But I can see now that she has poisoned your mind against me, Sinbad. Think about who your _true_ benefactor should be. I wouldn't want you to run down a path from which you may not return."

"And what path would that be, Lady Regent?" Sinbad asks, his voice lilting.

"One I'm sure you're very familiar with. It's been a good dance, Sinbad," she says, separating from him with a curtsey. "We'll see what to do about your ship."

He watches her go, his eyes narrowed in her direction before he turns around to look for Zora, who had left the dais in the process of the dance. Sinbad finds Zora watching him walk away from Galina with a pensive expression on her face. She jolts out of her haze as he approaches her. She lifts up her face to look at him. Everything about her expression, from the tightness of her lips to the slight furrow of her eyebrow screams a mixture of fear, anger, and frustration. He stands next to her and puts a hand on her shoulder, massaging some of the tension from the joint. _It's strange_ , he thinks, _touching a princess freely like this_. If he had done this to Serendine, he thinks that his hand would have been cut off. He stops the thoughts though, hyperaware of Galina's implications. She had been speaking loudly.

She sighs and some of the tension drains from her expression and posture. "How was the dance?"

He looks back out to where Galina is making her way back to her throne overlooking the dancers. "She said something strange to me."

Zora snorts. "Sounds like her. She likes to talk around what she means."

"I think she threatened my life," he says, narrowing his eyes at the older woman's back. Zora hums from beside him.

"That's also not very surprising," Zora says. "What did she say?"

"Something about a path I wouldn't come back from. After talking about how you are _poisoning my mind against her_ ," he looks over to the princess to see her roll her eyes at the last comment.

"Am I poisoning it or preventing it from being poisoned?" Zora says, mostly to herself. She looks up at Sinbad again. "Are you ready to go back?"

"Are we the last ones left?" he asks. She nods. "Hinahoho took Masrur and Sharrkan back to their room and Cenek and Ja'far went off by themselves a few minutes ago, while you were dancing."

"They're getting pretty close," Sinbad says, raising his eyebrows. While it's good for Ja'far to have friends who are his age, Sinbad does miss his best friend.

"Yeah, I'm not really that surprised," she says. "Cenek talked about Ja'far at least once almost every day since we got back from the dungeon. He was really impressed with him."

Sinbad puts a hand on her waist, checking to make sure it was okay, before the two begin to leave the party. "Why? Don't get me wrong –Ja'far's amazing, but what did he do?"

"I honestly have no idea," Zora says. "Cenek just kind of picked him out of the group and decided that he was his favorite."

"Well, I'm happy for him," Sinbad returns with a winning smile. "Usually, _I'm_ the favorite."

Zora snorts loudly with laughter before smothering it as two nearby nobles look over at her. "Sure, you are."

Sinbad raises his free hand to his chest in affront. "Of _course_ , I am, Princess. It's offensive that you would imply otherwise."

"I would _never_ intend to offend you," Zora says with a teasing lilt to her voice. They leave the main area, passing by a few stray couples and groups before walking into the chilly night air and over the bridge that led to Zora and her brother's wing of the building. "In all seriousness, though, you're pretty cool."

" _You_ calling _me_ cool? What is this?" he puts a hand to her forehead. "Are you sick?"

"Shut up, I'm not _that_ rude," she says before pausing and looking worried. "Wait, I'm not that rude, am I?"

Sinbad laughs. "I'm just teasing you. You compliment fairly often, actually. Usually it's along the lines of _Oh Sinbad, you're such a good person_ , or something like that."

"But you _are_ ," Zora says, though her cheeks seem to flush slightly at the implication that she's been complimenting him often. He thinks being flustered suits her, but he stops teasing because he doesn't enjoy being reminded every now and again that he's not a bad person. It's hard, sometimes, after what he's been through to remember that he's, generally, a good guy. He sees in the back of his mind the image of dead children before he shoves it to the recesses of his mind. _Not now. Not when I'm having a good time_.

They get to the junction where they would normally go down different halls when Zora grabs him by the arm and pulls him with her.

"What?" Sinbad asks, shocked. His mind goes to somewhere more _inappropriate_ , which had not been thoughts he'd previously associated with Zora, before he stops himself. _She's not interested_ , he thinks. He decides he only had that moment of thought, a glimpse of what _could_ be, due to previous encounters of a similar nature. Normally, when he's pulled places suddenly by women, like this, it leads to more desirable endeavors.

Zora opens a door and pulls him inside. "I wanted to be away from any possible prying eyes for this," she says. Sinbad's eyes widen as he thinks _what_ again. She drops her grip on his arm and walks over to her boudoir. She opens a drawer and pulls out two things, one glinting and sharp, the other more bulbous. She turns around. In one hand, there's a glinting knife, in the other, a container, almost like an inkwell, half-filled with liquid.

"Zora, what is this?" he asks. She hands them to him, Sinbad accepts them, though he's unsure about why he would need them.

"It's protection," she says. She crosses her arms, and shifts her weight, tapping her foot. She seems to feel slightly awkward at the gift. She seems to feel awkward at a lot of things, he's noticed. "From Galina. She's not above assassination. Hearing that she's threatened your life…" Zora shakes her head and looks down before meeting Sinbad's eyes again. "I just think it's better to take precautions."

"I have my djinn and I've been followed by an assassin before," he says, watching as Zora walks to her bed. She lifts up a pillow and he sees a dagger under it, its blade is wrapped in a cloth. Something inside of him shifts into place and the image he's been constructing of Zora starts to come together. He doesn't know much about her past or her upbringing, but the revelation of the knife as well as other things she's said in passing, her knowledge of herbs and the like, brings together an image of someone who's heart has become resigned to violence and in that resignation, has become prepped to deal out violence when necessary.

"It would be smarter to protect yourself this way," she says. "I don't want Galina to know about my djinn. I don't want her to know about yours either. She can't try to take them away if she doesn't know they're there."

Zora walks over to Sinbad and closes his hands around the vial, holding it tight. She looks up at him and her eyes are fierce. "If someone comes at you, use this. They'll either die, or be put to sleep. It depends on their size and the amount you use to coat the blade."

"Zora, thank you, but this isn't the way that I would want to fight someone," he says. It's not honorable to use poison like this.

She shakes her head. "I realize that. But sometimes, you have to do what it takes to survive. They'll be coming at you with a poisoned blade as well. It's better if you strike first than try to fight them off."

There's silence between the two of them as Sinbad contemplates her words and the hardened planes of her face. "How many people have you killed like this?"

Zora startles at the question. Her lips draw down at the edges and crease. She doesn't meet his eyes. "Why would you assume I've ever killed anyone?"

"The vial is less than halfway filled," he says.

"Maybe that's all I was given," she pulls back and smiles up at him. "Anyway, whatever happened to you seeing the best in people?"

"I never said that there was anything wrong with it," he responds, thinking of Ja'far. He'd accepted Ja'far. He understands what you have to do when life comes at you without stopping. He'd done bad things himself.

She sighs, lightly, and averts her eyes, stepping further back. He can tell that she's uncomfortable. "You should probably go and get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

"Of course," he responds, walking back to her door, he looks over his shoulder to see her looking off into the distance, rubbing her upper arm. "Goodnight, Zora."

She looks up at him and smiles, small. "Goodnight, Sinbad."

He hides the poison and dagger in the folds of his clothes and returns to his room.

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(so those last few linebreaks are different because for some reason the line function stopped working on the doc manager so. not a stylistic choice)

If you want to see what the dances look like you can search for them in youtube! Also, you can google all of the clothes and see what they look like! I combined different Slavic fashions from all over Eastern Europe, but the dances are mostly Polish.

(sidenote: when u look up _jelek_ make sure to type in Serbia after it because apparently that's like an insult in Indonesian and it brings up some weird things when u google it by itself)

Thanks to everyone who's faved and followed!

As always, I'd love some reviews! Tell me what you guys think! It's always lit hearing from you!


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